A convicted smuggler and former university student, 31-year-old Alaa Faraj, is set to marry Alessandra Sciurba, the former president of a pro-migrant NGO that focused on rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, according to Italian media.
Faraj, a Libyan national, has served 10 years in Palermo’s Ucciardone prison following his conviction for multiple manslaughter and aiding and abetting illegal immigration. Authorities identified him as one of the smugglers responsible for a tragic August 2015 shipwreck that claimed 49 lives.
Despite his conviction, Faraj has “always maintained his innocence.” In a significant legal development last December, Italian President Sergio Mattarella granted Faraj a partial pardon, resulting in a “sentence reduction of 11 years and 4 months.” While he currently has nine years remaining on his term, further reductions could see his detention end even sooner.
The relationship began within the prison walls during an educational laboratory conducted by Sciurba, a human rights professor and prominent activist who used to lead the NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans. She subsequently became the “voice of his fight for the truth,” according to Italian news outlet Imola Oggi.
Their collaboration led to the publication of the book “Because I was a Boy” (Perché ero ragazzo), published by Sellerio in September of last year, which Sciurba compiled from the letters Faraj sent to her from prison.
The book has gained critical acclaim, and Faraj is currently listed among the five finalists for the “22nd edition of the Tiziano Terzani International Literary Prize.”
The wedding is scheduled for June and is expected to be a notable interfaith event. According to the Italian outlet, “The Imam and the Archbishop of Palermo will celebrate the wedding in the church of San Gaetano in Brancaccio Corrado Lorefice.“
Before his arrest, Faraj was a 20-year-old engineering student in Benghazi. He reportedly fled the Libyan civil war to “pursue his dream of playing football in Europe“ before being intercepted and charged as a smuggler upon his arrival in Italy.
In addition, seven members of the NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans, including Luca Casarini, are on trial for the crime of facilitation of illegal immigration, including profiting from it.
The post Italy: Former pro-migrant NGO president prepares to marry Libyan people smuggler convicted of killing 49 people appeared first on Remix News.
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