Kurdish filmmaker and activist Maysoon Majidi got an early preview of the outcome of her trial, if one reads between the lines of Tuesday’s order by the Crotone judges releasing her from prison. It lays out the grounds for what is likely to come on Nov. 27, the date of the final hearing in her trial in which she is accused of being a “people smuggler” by helping those driving the boat that she and dozens of other desperate migrants traveled on, landing on the coast of Calabria on Dec. 31, 2023.

For the time being, Maysoon is free, but she hasn’t been found innocent yet. Nonetheless, the Crotone court judges write: “The witnesses heard at today's hearing have largely cut down the scope of the indictment framework, as it emerged that Majidi, instead of playing a key role in facilitating the captain's conduct in connection with the crime of illegal immigration, was instead only a migrant on board the vessel.” They conclude that “the scenario formulated by the defense” is plausible.

Attorney Giancarlo Liberati, Maysoon's defense lawyer, was very satisfied: “The judges saw the convergence of the testimonies towards our truth,” the Reggio Emilia-based lawyer explained, “and so they came to the conclusion that there are no serious indications of a crime. It follows that my client cannot be punished for the crime she is charged with. We are confident. We believe that the final examination of the evidence........

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