Non refoulement dei migranti soccorsi da navi private e giurisdizione dello Stato della bandiera: un’analisi a partire dalla sentenza della Corte di cassazione nel caso Asso 28

A survey of the relevant case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and other Treaty Bodies shows that persons rescued by a private vessel in the high seas are “within the jurisdiction of the flag State”, based on the law-of-the sea “flag State jurisdiction” principle; however, in this case the human rights obligations of the flag State will not exceed nor alter those incumbent upon it towards its vessels under the law of the sea. In the light of this, the Author critically assesses the assertion by the Italian Court of Cassation in the “Asso 28” case that the domestic law qualification of the ship master as “incaricato di pubblico servizio” automatically involves the jurisdiction of the flag State on the human rights of the rescued migrants for the purposes of the non-refoulement principle