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The EDL, in the course of a bureau meeting in Istanbul on the 18th of October 2014, has decided:

Whereas:

  • In the course of a trial taking place in Turin, Italy, against dozens of citizens, who have actively demonstrated for years in defence of the territory of the Valley of Susa threatened by the construction of a devastating and useless high speed train, the Public Prosecutor has requested high penalties. During the hearing of the 14th October 2014, the lawyer defending the State affirmed:

“The so-called Legal Team was present on the scene on the 27th of June and the 3rd of July. This trial, which has lived of filmed images, has given us the possibility of seeing these lawyers in places where crimes were being enacted…the moment has come, where one has to choose between the Legal Team jacket or the Lawyers’ robe because wearing both is difficult and the credibility of the lawyer is at stake”

  • Since the G8 in Genoa in 2001, in all mass demonstrations, lawyers in all Europe have worn the legal team jacket and taken to the streets in support of the free demonstration of opinion and following the principle that fundamental rights are not only defended in the courts of justice but everywhere where they are under threat.
  • The grave statements of the lawyer representing the state, given the context and place where they were pronounced, constitute an unacceptable form of intimidation of defence lawyers in this particular trial, as well as of lawyers working for citizens under trial for opposing the destruction of the environment and living conditions of people.

Now, therefore:

The EDL expresses its greatest outrage at the attacks against the freedom of organization of lawyers and the attempt to intimidate the defence lawyers, undermining the guarantees of the defence within and outside the trial.

The EDL expresses its solidarity to the Legal Team Italy and to the courageous lawyers of Turin who work under particularly difficult circumstances.

The EDL reiterates that the activity of Legal Team is part of the heritage of democratic struggle and a legitimate exercise of lawyers’ professional activity.

The EDL appeals to all institutions of self-government of lawyers and magistrates, as well as to all citizens to intervene to avoid attacks on democratic lawyers and the rights of the defence.

 

Bureau of the EDL

Istanbul, 18/10/2014

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THE VIOLENCE IN BOLZANETO IS CONFIRMED

THE VIOLENCE IN BOLZANETO IS CONFIRMED

WE HAVE TRUTH BUT NO JUSTICE

Seven years after the events and four years after the beginning of the trial, the Court of Genoa has only partially done justice to the victims of the Bolzaneto lager.

The gravest violations of fundamental rights have been confirmed like the inhuman treatment of the detained and the violence. The officers responsible of the structure have all been condemned. We wait to know the motivations of the sentence to evaluate some parts that seem inexplicable at the moment like absolving some of the accused for facts that seem confirmed, particularly the crimes of falsehood) and the mildness of some of the convictions in the sentence. The absence of a law that punishes torture and the reigning conspiracy of silence amongst those that belong to the Forces of Order has prevented a harder sentence, more in accordance with the seriousness of the ascertained facts.

We retain as positive the fact that the truth has been confirmed, that is, what was denounced and related by the victims of Bolzaneto. We also retain as positive the only part of the condemnation that is not symbolic: a compensation for the damages in the form of a payment of 10.000 euros for those who have suffered the violence and for their families. The conviction to compensate the damages has included the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Justice, proving the full responsibility of the State in the ascertained facts. Due to the prescription of the crimes and the application of the Italian law regulating indult, the compensation of damages is the only tangible effect of this trial, which will not compensate the suffering of the victims and the permanent consequences of the physical and psychological violence.

The determining fact has been the contribution of the lawyers of the plaintiffs who from the start where alone in gathering the complaints, demanding investigations and pushing the public powers to start this trial. Other than the many Italian lawyers, numerous lawyers from Europe have been directly present at the trial and have given useful contributions. Many of these lawyers are part of the European Democratic Lawyers’ Association (EDL).

Now that through public debate the events that took place in Bolzaneto have been ascertained, events that are unworthy of democratic state, we ask the government to apologize to the victims of Bolzaneto, takes measures against the condemned officers and proceed immediately to the payment of the due sums.

15/7/2008
EUROPEAN DEMOCRATIC LAWYERS www.aed-edl.net
LEGAL TEAM ITALIA www.legalteamitalia.it