Big donation wave for german captain Rackete | Currently Europe | '
The donations for the German aid organization Sea-Watch have shot up after the arrest of their captain Carola Rackete on Saturday morning. In the meantime, around 1.1 million euros have been received. About the call of the television presenters Jan Böhmermann and Klaas Heufer circulation came to Monday noon more than 735,000 euros from around 27,000 donors together, on an Italian Facebook page were collected more than 410,000 euros. The donation money is intended for the court costs of Rackete, explained Sea Watch spokesman Ruben Neugebauer. He added, "If the ship remains seized, we need a new one."
Rackete had sailed illegally with the rescue ship "Sea-Watch 3" and 40 migrants on board in the port of the Italian island Lampedusa on Saturday. There she was arrested and placed under house arrest. The "Sea-Watch 3" was confiscated. The 40 refugees were allowed to go ashore.
Hearing in Agrigento
Rackete is to be interrogated on Monday afternoon by an Italian investigating judge. She is already on the way with a ship of the financial police from Lampedusa in the Sicilian city of Agrigento, said Neugebauer. The judge must decide there, if the house arrest is upheld. The 31-year-old is accused of aiding and abetting illegal immigration, violation of the law of the sea and opposition to state violence for resisting instructions from military ships.
Rackete, after rescuing migrants from the Libyan coast for two weeks at sea, had waited in vain for permission to land in Italy. She justified her decision to force the moorings with the desperate situation on board and the concern that migrants could jump overboard to their deaths. Italy, however, does not want to have NGO ships built if there is no certainty that migrants will be distributed to other EU countries. Even Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier had joined in the matter and Italy criticized because of the arrest.
Berlin insists on the rule of law
After the arrest of the German captain, the Federal Government criticized the "criminalization of maritime rescuers". "If there are specific allegations by the Italian authorities, they must be resolved in the rule of law and as soon as possible," said Vice-government spokeswoman Martina Fietz. The humanitarian commitment to saving lives at sea deserves respect, but must also be consistent with applicable law. On the call for donations Fietz said it was "a valuable contribution of civil society" to stand behind the maritime rescuers. With regard to the refugees on the ship, Fietz affirmed that Germany is ready to receive "a certain number" and that this is also expected of the other EU partners.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas made it clear that he wants to see the captain of "Sea-Watch 3" released soon. "In our view, at the end of a constitutional process, only the release of Carola Rackete can stand," he wrote on Twitter. At the same time, the SPD politician disapproved of dealing with refugees in Europe. "The business of distributing the refugees is unworthy and must come to an end," he wrote.
Diplomatic channels active
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office in Berlin added that there are contacts between diplomats and the ministers of Germany and Italy in order to come to a solution. According to the German government, there were also contacts between the delegations of both countries at the EU summit in Brussels.
Father Racketes said he now hopes to use the federal government. "I think international pressure on the Italian government will make a difference," said Ekkehart Rackete of the German Press Agency. He still considers Italy a sovereign state of law and does not worry much about his daughter. Only on Sunday he had phoned her: she was "good and looks the whole thing really cool."
Spontandemo for solidarity with Captain Carola Rackete in Munich
European solution called for
German politicians meanwhile demanded a solution to the refugee issue at European level. "It's not just an isolated case, it's about finding a solution in Europe that we finally need to work with refugees together," said EU Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger. Referring to the criticism of the Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini on the German captain's violation, the CDU politician said: "I do not care about Salvini's assessments, as a citizen of Europe I have full sympathy for this woman who – I believe – acted courageously. And I have faith in the judiciary in Italy. "
Development Minister Gerd Müller said that Rackete had "acted in an absolute emergency". "That's why I expect Brussels to send a clear message and demand immediate release," the CSU politician said.
kle / se (dpa, epd)
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