Court of Salerno Confirms Suspension of Geo Barents’ Administrative Detention

Roma, 11 March 2025 - The Civil Court of Salerno has confirmed the suspension of the 60-day administrative detention imposed on 26 August 2024 on the Geo Barents, the search and rescue vessel operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

The detention, originally imposed in Salerno, Italy, was first suspended on 11 September 2024 by the Civil Court of Salerno, when the judge recognised that the Geo Barents had not contributed to creating a dangerous situation on board, as previously alleged in the detention order. On the contrary, according to the court, the rescue operation launched by the MSF team was both urgent and unavoidable.

The court also had stated that the request by the Libyan coastguard for the Geo Barents to leave the rescue area could not be considered as coordination of the rescue operation, as no instructions were given on how this operation should be carried out. 

Furthermore, the court had stressed that the imposition of the 60-day detention would irreversibly jeopardise the vessel's right to pursue its humanitarian objectives in accordance with international law and Italian constitutional values.

By reaffirming the suspension, the court has once again showed the importance of protecting human life at sea against restrictive and unjust policies that seek to criminalise humanitarian search and rescue activities at sea.