When this decision was announced, the former activists, now aged 61 to 78, fell into the arms of their loved ones. The Paris Court of Appeal delivered, on Wednesday June 29, an unfavorable opinion on the extradition of ten former Italian far-left activists claimed by Rome for acts of terrorism committed during the “years of lead” in the 1970s. -1980.
Italy was marked during this period by a violent one-upmanship between ultra-right and ultra-left groups which resulted in more than 360 deaths, 10,000 arrests and 5,000 convictions. The Red Brigades are notably involved in the death of around fifty people, including Aldo Moro, president of the Christian Democracy party, who was assassinated in 1978.
The investigating chamber ruling on extraditions relied on respect for private and family life and respect for judgment by default, provided for in Articles 8 and 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to support her decision, said the president.
“I am very happy for my client [Enzo Calvitti], I was afraid that he would end his days in prison”reacted his lawyer, Jean-Louis Chalanset. “There are several lessons to be learned for Sergio Tornaghi”said his lawyer Antoine Comte. “It’s been three extradition requests which have all been rejected by courts of appeal in France. From my point of view, the Italians must be able to settle their history face to face and examine their past”he added.
The group of ten activists consists of dtwo women and eight men. Six are old members of the Red Brigades and four former activists far-left armed groups. They were subject to extradition proceedings. for more than a year.
During the hearings, which took place between March 23 and June 15, the former activists who agreed to speak told the magistrates about their life in France for sometimes forty years. All believed they were protected on French soil, they said themselves or through the voice of their lawyers, thanks to the Mitterrand doctrine. The former socialist president had made a commitment not to extradite former activists who had broken with their past.
To everyone’s surprise, after months of negotiations, President Emmanuel Macron had decided, in the spring of 2021, to promote the execution of extradition requests recently renewed by Italy. “We will wait to find out if the public prosecutor’s office files an appeal in cassation against the decision” and to know the motives of the investigating chamber in detail, said Italian state lawyer William Julie.