Fdi wants to cancel the crime of torture. Ilaria Cucchi: we’ve sweated it out and you can’t touch it. Then he appeals to the Head of State

A bill to repeal the crime of torture introduced into the Italian legal system in 2017 after a troubled parliamentary process. To present it are some exponents of Fratelli d’Italia, first signatory Imma Vietri. The provision, assigned by the Justice Commission of the Chamber, intends in fact to repeal articles 613-bis and 613-ter of the penal code which introduced the crime and leaves only a sort of aggravating circumstance to article 61 of the penal code.

«We have sweated the crime of torture. I remember well what was discussed between parliamentarians, associations and even myself in 2017» enthuses the Left Green Alliance deputy, Ilaria Cucchi. “Who’s afraid of the rest of torture? We don’t», adds Cucchi, who announces battle in Parliament: «We certainly won’t stop. We will be many to make our voices heard. The law on torture cannot be touched”.

Cucchi appeals to the head of state, underlining: «The suspension of 23 agents of the Biella prison accused by the judiciary of state torture against 3 prisoners is news of these hours and in the same hours we learn of the assignment in the Justice Commission of the House of an Fdi bill that wants to repeal torture. This is a very serious fact. To claim that torture does not exist in Italy is a lie. Turning a blind eye and turning away is already a violation of human rights and I know it because I’ve experienced it myself. More than one judge, before the introduction of this law, found himself unable to proceed because the law did not exist. We fought for its introduction and now I appeal to all political forces especially to the President of the Republic: hands off the law that punishes torture. Those who are afraid of the crime of torture legitimize torture”.

«There is no desire on the part of the Brothers of Italy to abrogate the crime of torture, but to typify it very clearly as it is in international conventions. We clarify this to the left who speciously attacks us, well aware that there is no adequate clarity in the letter of the art. 613 bis of the penal code. We believe that the bill could be a useful basis for a discussion with other political forces to improve the regulation of the crime of torture as codified today» declares Tommaso Foti, group leader of the Brothers of Italy in the Chamber, who adds: «Above all to prevent imaginative indictments from ending in sensational acquittals. Furthermore, there is the current risk that the forces of order will have to guard against offenders. Instead, they must be respected and put in a position to do their job. This does not mean reserving any immunity to those who make a mistake. We are not surprised by the fact that consummate snake charmers, desperate for electoral consensus, want to hide all this by issuing false statements », he concludes.