Captain of migrant rescue ship leaves Italy for Germany – charity group

The German captain of rescue vessel ‘Sea-Watch 3’, Carola Rackete, who was temporarily arrested in Italy for docking without permission to land rescued migrants, left for her home country on Friday, according to her charity group. “We can confirm the departure for Germany” from Italy, a Sea-Watch spokesman told AFP.

Rackete, 31, was arrested on June 29 and held for several days after the ship hit an Italian police speedboat while entering the island port of Lampedusa despite a ban from entering Italian waters.

The captain argued she was compelled to avert a human tragedy and bring ashore 40 migrants whom she had rescued on June 12 in the Mediterranean.

Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini labeled her a threat to national security. Rackete faces an Italian investigation on allegations of aiding and abetting illegal immigration and entering Italian waters in violation of the ban.