Spanish actors Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem signed, with more than 240,000 people, a petition demanding “the liberation” of the boat of a Spanish NGO dedicated to the rescue of migrants at sea, held in Italy by order of justice. “If saving lives is a crime, then I’m a criminal because I support Proactiva Open Arms, be an accomplice too,” says Javier Bardem, in a video posted on Twitter, brandishing a leaf on which is written in English. slogan “Free Open Arms”. The actress Penélope Cruz, married since 2010 to Javier Bardem, also signed the petition. Another pair of Spanish stars – singers Victor Manuel and Ana Belén – broadcast on social networks a similar video. The Italian court has sequestered the Proactiva Open Arms ship. He is currently stuck in the port of Pozzallo in southern Sicily, where he had landed on March 17 more than 200 migrants rescued off the coast of Libya. Following the rescue operation – in which the rescuers refused to entrust migrants to the Libyan coastguard – three officials of the NGO are under investigation for criminal conspiracy to promote illegal immigration. A judge must rule in the week on the receivership. The more than 243,000 signatories of the petition, created on exchange.org, demand “the immediate release of the OpenArms ship and the rejection of unfounded accusations” against the NGO members, “because the only thing they do is save the lives of hundreds of people “. The couple is known for their humanitarian commitment. In 2012, Javier Bardem produced a documentary with the association Médecins sans frontières. They also took a stand on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2014. Since last January, Bardem has been campaigning alongside Greenpeace for the protection of Antarctic biodiversity.
JAVIER BARDEM AND PENELOPE CRUZ CLAIM THE “LIBERATION” OF AN NGO’S SHIP
