<nettime> Civil and human Rights (from indymedia)

["Aliette Guibert" <guibertc@criticalsecret.com>]

Again. Please in a hurry:
May 12th, Paris, is the last lawer suit.
A.G-C.

Printed from Boston IMC : http://boston.indymedia.org/
News :: Civil & Human Rights

Italian Activist Threatened With Extradition
by Mauvais Genres [note: a joke as "Bad Novel"
that means the literary kind of the Crime novel]
20 Apr 2004

<< start of forwarded material >>

Since 1981, 150 former Italian Activists have been legally residing in
France. Some of them are now being unfairly threatened with extradition to
Italy where they would immediately be sent to prison. Sign a petition to let
them reside in France!
Around 150 former Italian activists, condemned in Italy for actions linked
with the political and social upheaval of the 1970s, have emigrated to
France. Since 1981, they have been legally residing there on the promise
made by the former French President Francois Mitterrand. He promised that
they would always have safe refuge there so long as they renounced their
past political activities, did not go underground, and did not involve
themselves in politics. Some of them are now being unfairly threatened with
extradition to Italy where they would immediately be sent to prison.

Cesare Battisti, the author of several detective novels, was such an
activist and is now facing possible deportation. On Tuesday, February 10,
2004, he was arrested in Paris and detained to await hearing for his
extradition to Italy. His counsel immediately appealed for his release. On
March 3rd, the court granted a conditional release until his hearing
scheduled for May 12, 2004. Since his arrest, he must report to the police
weekly and cannot leave Paris nor even enter any airport.

Battisti's counsel and we are shocked by this situation. He has already been
subjected to this same procedure in 1982. The court then decided that the
Italian request of extradition would contradict Mitterand's promise, and
Battisti was ultimately allowed to remain in France.

The Italian government has no new evidence against Battisti, so that he has
to face a new hearing is both excessive and absurd. This is because France
has a law that states that no one shall be tried twice for the same crime
without new evidence.

The French government's decision to allow former Italian activists to reside
in France was made in response to emergency legislations adopted by Italy in
the 1970s. The crimes committed at this time within the frame of what was
considered a "rebellion against the state" were treated under special laws
that prescribed heavier sentences for certain crimes. Morover, the
"Repentant Act" reduced sentences for those who would testify against
others. One can imagine the reliability of such testimonies. This was
further enhanced by a "Dissociation Act" which made possible for the accused
to plead guilty based not upon evidence, but upon repentants' testimonies.
Under the Italian judiciary system, the guilt of the accused must be
established by prosecutors in front of the court.

In Cesare's situation, the Italian governement convicted him in his absence
with only repentant's testimonies. He is accused to be involved in four
murders, two of which where committed within hours of each other, but in two
cities miles apart! Battisti's case would set a precedent in betraying
Mitterand's promise making all 150 vulnerable to these same procedures.

We remain mobilized to prevent the extradition of the Italian refugees who
were guaranteed resident status in France. We demand France deny extradition
requests by the Italian government and provide forever the security they
assured them.

We encourage you to join over 23,000 others in signing our petition at
http://www.mauvaisgenres.com/peti/index.php/

the first box asks for your first and last name,
the second for your e-mail address,
the third for your city and country, and
the fourth for your occupation

<< end of forwarded material >>

> http://boston.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/21060

and

> http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=04/04/20/7606945/
>
> http://austin.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/16394/
>
> http://baltimore.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/6826/
>
> http://nyc.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/91847/
>
> http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/04/286274.shtml/

--------------------------------- 

more informations and any English-Us speaking

>From the author himself

http://www.vialibre5.com/

popup openning at the homepage:

http://www.criticalsecret.com/

---------------------------------


Cesare Battisti books (paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/


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