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Shady connections in Italy

by Alexandra Matine

On the 1st of August, Italy’s Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu created a new legislation which he described as “an intervention to make existing norms sharper and more incisive in the fight against terrorism”. The main consequence of this legislation is that it allows the government to expel foreigners more easily if these are found supporting or helping terrorist groups.
This legislation has already led to several expulsions including an imam in Turin and the vice-president of the Islamic Institute of Come.

Though this legislation is supposed to promote security and therefore protect democracy from exterior attacks, it also appears to be a good way for national extremists to get rid of foreigners (it is the xenophobic party Northern League who accused Imam Bouriqui Bouchta of praising the September 11th attacks).

At the same time, it also seems to undermine one of the main goals of democracy, equal access to justice, since it allows suspects to be questioned without a lawyer being present and held 24 hours without charge.

La Repubblica has the story (if you speak Italian).

September 8, 2005 in Monitoring Global Security Legislation | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)