In this episode, we speak with Paul Wagner, the media officer for Sea-Watch's airborne operations. 

 

He tells us about the rescue organisation's reconnaissance missions over the central Mediterranean, the push and pullbacks they have witnessed at sea, and how the EU has refugee blood on its hands. 

 

He also tell us about the various ways the Italian government has tried to stop them from carrying out their human rights monitoring missions. 

 

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---Show Notes---

 

For more on Sea-Watch, visit: sea-watch.org/en

 

For more on the Seabirds 1 & 2, see here: sea-watch.org/mission/airborne/

 

Follow Sea-Watch on Twitter on @seawatch_intl
Bluesky: @en.sea-watch.org 
Instagram: seawatchcrew

 

Also, check out episodes 43, 22, 7 and 1 of The Civil Fleet Podcast for more on Sea-Watch. 

 

Read more about Carola Rackete here: https://thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/2020/01/17/italys-highest-court-confirms-ngo-captain-should-not-have-been-arrested-for-saving-refugee-lives/ 

 

For more on SOS Humanity, see episodes 55 and 31

 

Read The Civil Fleet's coverage of Sea-Watch here: thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/tag/Sea-Watch

 

For more on the Matteo Salvini kidnapping trial. see: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/09/15/italian-deputy-pm-matteo-salvini-faces-possible-six-years-in-prison-over-migrants-case 

It was SOS Humanity who rescued one person at sea in late October. They were then forced to sail to the distant port of Salerno, 870km, away from where the rescue took place. Read more about that here: twitter.com/soshumanity_en/status/1850235169568891033

 

You can read Ben's interbiew with Sea-Watch's Tamino Bohm, here: thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/2020/07/18/the-libyan-coastguards-interceptions-of-refugees-couldnt-happen-without-europes-planes

 

For more on the sip captain Paul metions who was arrested for handing people over to the Libya, see here: euronews.com/2021/10/14/italy-ship-captain-convicted-after-sending-101-migrants-to-libya-in-2018

 

The merchant shop Ben talks about was the Maersk Etienne. You can read about that saga here: thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/2020/09/13/forty-day-nightmare-finally-over-as-the-mare-jonio-brings-the-etienne-27-to-land

 

For more on the Maersk Etienne case, check out episodes 18 and 47

 

Read about Malta's treatment of the civilian rescuers here: https://thecivilfleet.wordpress.com/tag/Malta

 

For more on the Pylos shipwreck, see Episodes 60 and 52

 

Paul mention's a testimony by Ibrahim Hsian, the son of Mohammed Hsian who drowned in the shipwreck of 2nd September 2024. You can read that here: sea-watch.org/en/my-father-was-a-unique-irreplaceable-person