A German activist NGO notorious for facilitating illegal migration by sea has claimed that one of its vessels was recently harassed and fired upon by Libyan authorities in an attempted "kidnapping" in international waters.
Berlin-based Sea-Watch said that the crew of the "humanitarian vessel" [groan, -ed.] Sea-Watch 5 had just pulled 90 migrants out of the sea and taken them on board when their vessel was subjected to gunfire from a patrol boat from the "so-called Libyan Coast Guard" some 55 nautical miles north of Tripoli at around 11:00 local time on Monday, May 11.
Sea-Watch said that no one was injured despite "a volley of 10 to 15 shots" of live ammunition having been fired on the vessel. The extent of the damage suffered by the vessel during the supposed encounter has not yet been determined.
The NGO claimed that, prior to opening fire, the Libyan Coast Guard had threatened that the vessel would be boarded to bring it to within Libyan waters.
Sea-Watch added that, after being fired upon, the crew of Sea-Watch 5 sent out a mayday call and informed the relevant Italian and German authorities.
Sea-Watch 5 was eventually cleared by Italian authorities to enter the Port of Brindisi. Sea-Watch said that, while still en route to the port, the crew found another 64 illegal migrants at sea and took them on board.
"The European Union has helped create a violent monster in the form of the so-called Libyan coastguard that it is now either unwilling or unable to control," Giulia Messmer, Spokesperson for Sea-Watch, claimed in a statement.
"Since 2016, we have documented more than 75 cases of extreme violence committed by Libyan militias in the Mediterranean. Protection from Italy? None. Consequences for this escalation of violence? None either."