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Italy: Rete del Sud Ribelle activists acquitted of "subversive association" charges

01 May 2008

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On 24 April 2008, a court in Cosenza acquitted 13 activists of charges of having established a subversive association for the purpose of devastating Genoa during the 2001 G8 summit and to subvert the economic order of the Italian state. The court accepted the defendants' argument that there was no subversive association whatsoever, contradicting the case presented by the prosecuting magistrate Domenico Fiordalisi, who had requested a sentence of a total of 50 years, with the state asking for €50 million in compensation payments.

The prosecution in the trial, which has lasted three years and was based on surveillance of telecommunications and of the social scene that was targeted, failed to provide "any evidence that the defendants had met to establish a subversive association", as one of the defence lawyers claimed. It all began with 18 arrests in November 2002 in Naples, Cosenza, Vibo Valentia, Taranto, Reggio Calabria, Diamante and Viterbo and, eventually, 42 people were placed under investigation, 12 were imprisoned, 6 placed under house arrest, and 13 were finally tried.
Source: il manifesto, 25.4.2008

See Statewatch's Observatory on EU and public order

Previous Statewatch coverage of the case:

20 activists arrested for "subversive association", Statewatch news online, November 2002

Interior minister links terrorism and activists' "widespread political illegality", Statewatch news online, February 2003

Court annuls release of activists charged with "subversive association", Statewatch bulletin, vol. 13 no. 2, March-April 2003

"Subversive association" proceedings continue, Statewatch bulletin, vol. 13 nos. 3/4

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