Interior minister Matteo Salvini should only face trial in the case of nearly 200 migrants stuck on rescue boat in the Mediterranean for almost two weeks last August if he acted "self-interestedly" in not allowing them ashore, premier Giuseppe Conte said on Thursday.
"It's highly misleading to talk about immunity and a vote to save Salvini," said Conte, who has no political affiliation and is a law professor by trade.
"We need to be clear...whether he acted constitutionally, in the public interest, within the function of government or if he went beyond his remit as minister for his own personal interests," said Conte.
Conte was referring to a committee of the Italian Senate which must decide whether to authorise a vote by the entire upper house of parliament to lift Salvini's parliamentary immunity for leaving the 177 migrants stranded aboard Italian coastguard ship Umberto Diciotti. Salvini refused the migrants permission to disembark at Catania's port until other countries and the Catholic church agreed to host them amid a standoff that sparked international outrage.
The Senate's decision whether to proceed against Salvini in the Diciotti case is expected in late February and follows a request by a special court in Sicily for him to stand trial. Salvini faces charges in the case that include kidnapping, abuse of office and flouting the laws of the sea and if found guilty could be jailed for between 3 and 15 years over his conduct.
The case has split Salvini's far-right League party's anti-establishment coalition partner, the Five-Star Movement, one of whose founding principles is that politicians under investigation should be asked to resign, although a vote against Salvini could destabilise the government.
