Attending today's Open Arms hearing, in which MEDITERRANEA is a civil plaintiff, lawyer Fabio Lanfranca said: "The Mare Jonio is the only civilian rescue ship flying the Italian flag, which is not a privilege, on the contrary, it has led to special attention from the Italian authorities, who have never allowed it to sail in calm waters. After a 10-hour inspection, the ship was ordered to abandon all rescue equipment on board. This is an unprecedented, vexatious and illegal measure which will be challenged in the appropriate fora.