As of: February 1, 2024, 2:06 p.m
By: Julian Mayr, Sandra Sporer
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Ilaria Salis from Monza was led into the courtroom in chains in Hungary.
© Andrea BERNARDI/AFP/TG3
Ilaria S. is on trial in Hungary because she attacked two neo-Nazis.
Their treatment by the authorities is causing outrage and diplomatic tensions.
Budapest – 39-year-old Ilaria S. comes from Monza in northern Italy and is a teacher.
However, when the defendant entered the courtroom in Budapest accompanied by masked officers, one could assume that the woman was a serious criminal.
She was wearing handcuffs and shackles and was being led by a female officer on a chain like a leash.
The images sparked angry reactions and calls for the Italian government to intervene in the case.
Presented to the judge on a leash – pictures cause outrage
The Italian is on trial because she is accused of attacking and injuring two alleged neo-Nazis at a right-wing extremist gathering on February 11, 2023.
At that time there were clashes between meeting participants and counter-demonstrators.
Prosecutors said the injuries were “potentially fatal,”
La Repubblica
reports .
However, the two victims apparently recovered quickly after the alleged attack and did not file a complaint against the Italian woman, the Roman daily continued.
However, according to Die Presse,
the public prosecutor's office accused her
of murderous intent and membership in the "Hammer Gang", a violent, left-wing extremist group from Germany.
The Budapest public prosecutor's office demanded 11 years in prison.
The teacher, who protested her innocence, has been in a maximum security prison in Budapest for almost a year.
Accused activist denounces poor treatment in prison
The prison conditions in particular caused a stir.
In December 2023, the 39-year-old drew attention to numerous grievances during her imprisonment.
She reported dirty clothing, lack of hygiene products during her period, and bed bug infestations.
Her father, Roberto S., criticized the reserved reactions to his daughter's treatment: “My daughter is being treated like an animal.
The politicians, the government and the newspapers act as if they don't see it.” The now published images of the start of the trial against the Italian teacher and activist also made the rounds in the Italian media.
“It cannot be the case that an Italian citizen is taken away in chains, especially if it is an EU country,” said the defendant’s father, shocked.
Process causes political tension - Italy's foreign and justice ministers comment on the Ilaria S. case.
According to a lawyer for Ilaria S., who spoke to the
Ansa
news agency , the 39-year-old had previously been taken from one place to another on a leash.
The defendant's father claims that the Italian embassy in Hungary was already informed about the grievances before the announcement.
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The court case of Ilaria S. and her treatment by the Hungarian authorities becomes a political issue.
In Italy people are protesting for their release.
© Matteo Nardone/Pacific Press Agency/IMAGO
In a radio interview, Italian Foreign Minister Roberto Tajani assured that a border had been crossed this time.
The treatment of prisoners does not correspond to EU regulations and “our legal culture”.
Tajani announced on
However, political influence is limited because the Hungarian courts act independently of the government, said the minister.
Petition for the extradition of Ilaria S. started
The Italian Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio also commented.
“We are doing everything possible to alleviate the harsh conditions in which she is being held,”
Ansa
quotes Nordio.
However, extradition is not possible at this point, although a petition started in Italy is calling for it.
The Hungarian prison authorities rejected the allegations: The allegations about Ilaria S.'s prison conditions were false.
The authority spoke of “slander”.
The 39-year-old defendant remains imprisoned in Hungary for the time being.
She is waiting for the trial to continue on May 24th.
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