One person, with a bullet lodged in their skull, is in a coma and fighting between life and death, while two others have been seriously injured — one in the face and the other in the hand — victims of gunfire from a Libyan patrol boat.

This is the provisional toll as the disembarkation of 140 people in Pozzallo comes to an end. These individuals were the target of an armed attack by Libyan militiamen that took place yesterday afternoon in international waters, within the Maltese SAR zone, approximately 110 nautical miles southeast of Sicily.

Together with Alarm Phone, we alerted the Italian authorities as early as yesterday afternoon. Yet only today — a full 24 hours after the deadly shooting — did rescue operations begin.

The person now fighting for their life could have been reached immediately by a Maltese or Italian helicopter yesterday. We hope they survive. But if the outcome is different, in the face of a deliberate failure to provide urgent medical assistance, we know exactly where the responsibility lies.

The survivors of yet another crime committed by Libyan militiamen — this time using naval vessels supplied by Italy — have now arrived in Pozzallo, after being ignored for an entire day.

There were 140 people aboard a fishing boat, trying to flee the ongoing war on migrants in Libya — a war funded by the Italian and Maltese governments, along with EU institutions.

International law has become meaningless for governments that enable and cover up these atrocities. On the eve of the renewal of the infamous Italy–Libya Memorandum, we call on the Italian Parliament to finally open a serious debate on the need to refuse the renewal of this disgraceful agreement with murderers.

As for us, together with our activists present on the docks in Pozzallo, we are ready to immediately offer legal and material support in solidarity with the survivors of this attack and their families.

October 13, 2025, Mediterranea Saving Humans