Lampedusa/Bad Kreuznach, September 25, 2026
On September 23, 2026, the Prefect of the Province of Agrigento ordered the 15-day detention of the rescue ship Sea Punk I and imposed a fine of 7,500 euros. Sea Punks e.V. is taking legal action against this measure, which it views as a deliberate and unfounded obstruction of its civilian sea rescue operations.
After rescue of 20 people: Seizure
The vessel was detained following a rescue operation carried out on Thursday, September 10, 2026. That day, the crew of the Sea Punk I had responded to a distress case near the Bouri oil platform. “Our crew rescued 20 people from a disabled fiberglass boat. The vessel was unseaworthy, lacked any safety equipment, and was adrift. The people had been at sea for at least two days and were suffering from life-threatening dehydration. After coordinating the next steps with the Italian authorities, our crew safely brought all the individuals aboard the Sea Punk I,” explains Stephen Schrezenmeier, Search and Rescue Coordinator for Sea Punks e. V.
The operation was carried out in close coordination with the relevant Italian authorities and in accordance with applicable conventions and international regulations. The Italian authorities accuse the captain of the Sea Punk I of failing to comply with instructions from the so-called Libyan Coast Guard to move away and leave the operational area. MRCC Libya further claims that the Sea Punk I entered the exclusion zone around the oil platform during the rescue operation.
Sea Punks e.V. rejects these claims. “The people in distress at sea were outside the Bouri platform’s safety zone and in international waters,” stated Stephen Schrezenmeier. “There was no direct contact with the so-called Libyan Coast Guard during this rescue operation. Furthermore, Libya is not a place of safety under international maritime law; returning people there would violate international law. There is an obligation to rescue and disembark individuals in a safe port—which is precisely what we did, while maintaining continuous and full communication and cooperation with the Italian coordination center (MRCC Rome).”
Sea Punks e. V. intends to take legal action in response: “Our crew acted in full compliance with international maritime law,” said Stephen Schrezenmeier. “Since 2023, the Italian state has repeatedly and unlawfully blocked search-and-rescue vessels, even though they are fulfilling their obligation under international law to rescue people in distress at sea. Now, for the first time, this political harassment has affected us as well.”
11th Detention of a Justice Fleet Alliance Ship
This marks the eleventh detention of a vessel belonging to the Justice Fleet—the largest alliance of civilian search-and-rescue organizations, established in November 2025. “The imposition of over 310 days of unlawful detention on civilian sea rescue vessels since November 2025 is a politically motivated move by Italian authorities that violates international law and further exacerbates the already scarce rescue capacity in the Mediterranean. Every day a rescue ship is absent from the Mediterranean means more deaths,” says Stefanie Groth, spokesperson for Sea Punks e. V.
In November 2025, 13 search-and-rescue organizations founded the Justice Fleet alliance, supported by a broad civil society network. Their goal is to uphold international law by challenging the unlawful detention of rescue vessels in Italy and the outsourcing of migration containment to illegitimate and violent actors in Libya.
Note to editors:
Stephen Schrezenmeier, Search and Rescue Coordinator, and Stefanie Groth, the association’s spokesperson, are available for interviews. Images are available for download in the press section of the website.
About the Association Sea Punks e. V.
Sea Punks e.V. is a non-profit association based in Bad Kreuznach that is dedicated to civilian maritime rescue and humanitarian aid at Europe’s external borders. Founded in Bad Kreuznach in 2020, the association operates nationwide. Its work is carried out primarily by volunteers and funded through donations. The association has been active with the vessel Sea Punk I since September 2023 and has assisted more than 1,120 people in distress at sea across ten rotations. Since November 2025, Sea Punks e.V. has been part of the Justice Fleet.
Press Contact Sea Punks e. V.:
Stefanie Groth, Spokesperson
Mail: presse@seapunks.de
Downloads: www.seapunks.de/en/press