VALLETTA - The captain of the MV Lifeline, a ship carrying over 200 migrants which docked in Malta earlier this week, was charged in court on Monday over vessel registration issues.

Claus-Peter Reisch was charged in a Maltese court Monday morning over alleged irregular registration of the ship.

The ship had documentation claiming to have been registered as a pleasure craft in the Netherlands, but was denied by the country that it was on books.

The ship docked in Malta last week after a diplomatic tussle with Italy over who should take in the migrants.

Activists from the ship held banners outside the courthouse, emphasizing that saving people was not a crime.

Lawyers for the captain of the migrant rescue ship Lifeline have said that he is a victim of a campaign targeting NGOs and refugees and may be a scapegoat for EU-level failings in dealing with migrants.

After the sitting, Reisch's lawyers told reporters that they felt the case was a symptom of the current climate in the Mediterranean, saying they hoped it was not a result of the political discussions at EU level.

"We hope it is not a witchhunt but we suspect it is," lawyer Neil Falzon said.