The German rescue ship Trotamar III, operated by CompassCollective, was detained by Italian authorities for 45 days and fined 10,000 euros after rescuing 25 people in distress at sea. Following the Sea-Watch 5, the Humanity 1, and the Aurora, the Trotamar III is already the fourth civil rescue ship from the Justice Fleet to be detained in port by authorities this year—while the Mediterranean has seen the deadliest start to the year since records began.
After rescuing 25 people from a rubber boat within the Libyan search and rescue zone, the rescue ship Trotamar III was not allowed to leave the port of Lampedusa on June 29, 2026. Now, the Italian authorities imposed a 45-day detention on the ship as well as a fine of 10,000 euros. The reason: The crew had not communicated the rescue to the so-called Libyan Coast Guard, who are known for their violent pullbacks. Instead, the crew acted in accordance with international maritime law and notified the maritime rescue coordination centres in Italy and Malta, the maritime rescue coordination centres in Italy and Malta, which can guarantee a safe place of disembarkation for the shipwrecked. “Libya tramples on human rights and cannot offer a place of safety in accordance with international conventions,” explains Skipper Matthias Wiedenlübbert from CompassCollective.
“While the death toll in the Mediterranean is rising, those who save lives are being hindered. Pope Leo XIV reminded us on Lampedusa that ‘the dead in this sea are victims both of decisions that were made and that were not made.’ Detaining rescue ships is one such decision that has been made,” said Lisa Böhm, press spokesperson for the Justice Fleet.
About the Justice Fleet
In November 2025, 13 search and rescue organisations formed the Justice Fleet alliance, supported by a network of civil society organisations. Their goal is to protect international law by challenging the unlawful detentions of rescue vessels in Italy and Europe’s outsourcing of search and rescue to illegitimate and violent actors in Libya.
Press contact
Lisa Böhm
Spokesperson Justice Fleet
+49 1579 2485193
info@justice-fleet.org