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There are many uncertainties as Captain #CarolaRackete goes into a hearing this afternoon in Italy to determine her judicial fate. But some things are clear. Thread 1/10 
@hrw @seawatchcrew Prosecutors should drop criminal charges against #CarolaRackete. Her actions were humanitarian, with no criminal intent. Criminalizing life-saving efforts is never the answer. 2/10
@hrw @seawatchcrew Saving lives and delivering persons to a place of safety is a legal duty under international and Italian law. Libya is not a safe place, taking people to Tripoli is not a option as it is a violation of nonrefoulement obligation and law of the sea. 3/10
@hrw @seawatchcrew No European govt offered #SeaWatch3 a safe port after they rescued 53 people. Malta flat-out refused. The captain headed towards Lampedusa as the closest safe port. Five EU countries agreed to take people only after a 16-day stand-off. 4/10
@hrw @seawatchcrew Rescued persons have the right to be delivered to dry land in a place of safety, and all persons have the right to seek asylum. It is not right to cast this as “facilitating illegal immigration” in charges against #CarolaRackete. 5/10
@hrw @seawatchcrew In 2009 an Italian court acquitted captain and crew of the Cap Anamur, a German aid ship, of charges of facilitating illegal immigration for rescuing and taking to Lampedusa 37 people in 2004. dw.com/en/germans-acq… 6/10
@hrw @seawatchcrew When #SeaWatch3 docked at Lampedusa port, an Italian customs police boat was forced out of the way. It was not a warship, #CarolaRackete acknowledged bad maneuver & humanitarian intent was clear. “Resisting a warship” charges inappropriate. repubblica.it/cronaca/2019/0… 7/10
@hrw @seawatchcrew .@seawatchcrew explained captain felt necessity & urgency, with one person on board expressing suicidal tendencies, as Italian authorities continued to refuse docking permission despite agreement from 5 EU countries to take rescued persons. video.corriere.it/cronaca/sea-wa… 8/10
@hrw @seawatchcrew Interior minister @matteosalvinimi Salvini calling this an “act of war” is an unfounded, outrageous statement that tries to fool people into believing a life-saving humanitarian mission was a violent criminal act dw.com/en/italys-salv… 9/10
@hrw @seawatchcrew @matteosalvinimi Fines of over €16,000 fines for entering Italian waters without authorization are based on a harmful, ill-conceived decree. UN experts told Italian government, right to life and nonrefoulement principle “should always prevail.” ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/… 10/10
