Actions
Indirect Involvement
Killing by DrowningSophia → Destruction of Boats
As minister of defense she appproved the 2018 council decision to extend operation Sophia's mandate and the decision to amend the mandate in 2019.
Direct Involvement
Refoulement by ProxyGACS/LYCG Training
As Italian Minister of Defense, Elisabetta Trenta held direct responsibility for Italy’s contribution to the training of the Libyan Coast Guard under Operation Sophia. On 30 November 2018, at the Italian Navy School in La Maddalena, she presided over the formal conclusion of a training module involving Libyan personnel. Her presence in this capacity underscores Italy’s central role in equipping and legitimizing the Libyan Coast Guard, an institution repeatedly implicated in abuses against migrants at sea. By actively endorsing and overseeing this training, Trenta reinforced the broader framework of EU–Libya cooperation that facilitated systematic interceptions and returns to Libya.