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Mazara del Vallo, December 20, 2020 – They arrive at the new port of Mazzara del Vallo the two ships that carry i 18 fishermen kidnapped in Libya and released last Thursday after 108 days in prison. Announced by the siren of a patrol boat, the two fishing boats Medinea me Antarctica he entered the hatch just before 10.15. The two vessels were escorted throughout the return journey, some 500 miles for a total of 57 hours of crossing, by the ship Margottini of the Navy who, last night during the trip, brought pizza.
After having tested negative in the first rapid anti-Covid test, the fishermen left the port, went home, in private cars, accompanied by relatives. In their respective homes they will await the result of the molecular swab that will arrive in the afternoon. Cars poured and poured out of the harbor area. Long hugs between mothers, wives, children, brothers and sisters, who welcomed the sailors. And the tears were not lacking. Also present on the pier were the prefect of Trapani Tommaso Ricciardi, the bishop of Mazara Domenico Mogavero and the mayor Salvatore Quinci.
Eighteen colombe The whites were released in the port, as a symbol of the day of celebration. The birds were placed in a basket with a tricolor ribbon and at 10.50 hours they took off.
“In Libya she is treated very badly”
“They treated us very badly, they made us sleep on the floor. Poor food. It was terrible, ”said Onofrio Giacalone, one of the fishermen.
“They shot into the air, we were scared to death. We thought we were going to die. We were very scared. We didn’t know anything about what was happening in Italy, they kept us in the dark mostly.”
Questioned by the Ros
The interrogations of the sailors of the Antarctic and Medinea fishing boats began at the Carabinieri barracks in Mazara del Vallo. The Rome prosecutor had opened an investigation file after the kidnapping of the 18 crew members in Libya. The fishermen are questioned by ROS military personnel on behalf of the prosecutor. There are currently four people questioned. The interrogations will continue tomorrow as well.
History
It was the first of September, more than a hundred days ago. For 108 long days, eighteen fishermen, eight Tunisians, six Italians, two Indonesians and two Senegalese were detained in Libya. They were on board two fishing boats from Mazara del Vallo, Antarctica and Medinea, seized by Libyan patrol boats. The accusation made by the authorities of that country is of having violated the territorial waters, fishing within what they believe is an area of relevance.
In the days after the kidnapping, Haftar’s militias have also baselessly challenged the drug trade. In addition, during the negotiations, a request was made for a ‘prisoner swap’, asking for the extradition of four Libyan footballers convicted in Italy as smugglers from a crossing where 49 migrants died.
The relatives of the fishermen protested several times in Mazara, in the square, in front of the house of the Minister of Justice, in Montecitorio, in chains, also asking for the intervention of special forces, and a solution was considered possible just before Christmas. On December 16, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio assured that the Italian government is “doing everything possible” to bring home the Mazara fishermen imprisoned by the Libyan authorities. Until the turning point of Thursday 17 December: a “liberating” flight, also aboard Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, to Benghazi.
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