Tim McNulty
A SPANISH fireman has been accused of human trafficking and faces 20 years in prison after he saved thousands of migrants in rescue mission.
Miguel Roldan faced allegations of aiding illegal immigration and conspiring with human traffickers after rescuing stricken migrant boats for German NGO, Jugen Rettet.
In June 2017, the 32-year-old and his colleagues managed to rescue 5,000 people but Italian authorities later seized their vessel for ‘facilitating illegal immigration.’
“Even just one minute spent in jail for saving lives would be too much.
“The accusation is a huge slap in the face,” said Roldan
A judge in the Sicilian city of Trapani launched a investigation into the entire crew, made up of seven Germans, two Scots and Roldan.
The case comes after three firefighters from Seville were acquitted after being accused of people smuggling in 2018 while volunteering for rescue charity Proem-Aid.
Roldan said: “It’s unbelievable.
“We respect the rules so much that we’ve watched people die because of bureaucracy.”
