| ITALY Italian Republic Repubblica Italiana Joined United Nations: 14 December 1955 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 01/14/11 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Rome
58,090,681 (July 2010 est.)
Silvio Berlusconi
Prime Minister
(President of the Council of Ministers)
since 08 May 2008
Prime Minister
(President of the Council of Ministers)
since 08 May 2008
President elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of
parliament and 58 regional representatives for a seven-year term (no
term limits); election last held 10 May 2006
Next scheduled election: May 2013
parliament and 58 regional representatives for a seven-year term (no
term limits); election last held 10 May 2006
Next scheduled election: May 2013
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
SELECTION PROCESS
Prime minister appointed by the President and confirmed by
parliament; note - last held 13-14 April 2008
Next scheduled election: April 2013
parliament; note - last held 13-14 April 2008
Next scheduled election: April 2013
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in
the south)
the south)
| RELIGIONS |
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third regularly attend services), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish
communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Republic with 15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions* (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma); Legal
system is based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: President elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of parliament and 58 regional representatives for a seven-year
term (no term limits); election last held 10 May 2006 (next to be held in May 2013); prime minister appointed by the president and
confirmed by parliament
Legislative: Bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (315 seats; members elected
by proportional vote with the winning coalition in each region receiving 55% of seats from that region; to serve five-year terms) and
the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; members elected by popular vote with the winning national coalition
receiving 54% of chamber seats; to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 13-14 April 2008 (next to be held in April 2013); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 13-14 April
2008 (next to be held in April 2013)
Judicial: Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed of 15 judges: one-third appointed by the president, one-third
elected by parliament, one-third elected by the ordinary and administrative Supreme Courts)
system is based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: President elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of parliament and 58 regional representatives for a seven-year
term (no term limits); election last held 10 May 2006 (next to be held in May 2013); prime minister appointed by the president and
confirmed by parliament
Legislative: Bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (315 seats; members elected
by proportional vote with the winning coalition in each region receiving 55% of seats from that region; to serve five-year terms) and
the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; members elected by popular vote with the winning national coalition
receiving 54% of chamber seats; to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 13-14 April 2008 (next to be held in April 2013); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 13-14 April
2008 (next to be held in April 2013)
Judicial: Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed of 15 judges: one-third appointed by the president, one-third
elected by parliament, one-third elected by the ordinary and administrative Supreme Courts)
| LANGUAGES |
Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small
French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
| BRIEF HISTORY |
The name Italy (Italia) is an ancient name for the country and people of Central Italy. Its origin is clear: the name Italia was imposed
upon the Roman Republic by the conquering Italic tribes of the contemporary Abruzzo region, centering in the area of Corfinium
(Corfinio). Terramare culture takes its name from the black earth (terremare) residue of settlement mounds.. The occupations of the
terramare people as compared with their Neolithic predecessors may be inferred with comparative certainty. They were still
hunters, but had domesticated animals; they were fairly skilful metallurgists. It is thought the Terremare culture may be an early
manifestation of Italic-speaking Indo-Europeans. Villanovan culture brought iron-working to the Italian peninsula; Villanovans
practiced cremation and buried the ashes of their dead in pottery urns of distinctive double-cone shape. Generally speaking,
Villanovan settlements were centered in the Po River valley and Etruria round Bologna, later an important Etruscan center, and
areas in Emilia Romagna (at Verruchio and Fermi), in Tuscany and Lazio. Further south, in Campania, a region where inhumation
was the general practice, Villanovan cremation burials have been identified at Capua, at the "princely tombs" of Pontecagnano near
queer (finds conserved in the Museum of Agro Picentino) and at Sala Consilina. Culture that is identifiably and certainly Etruscan
developed in Italy after about 800 BC approximately over the range of the preceding Iron Age Villanovan culture. The latter gave
way in the 7th century to an increasingly orientalizing culture that was influenced by Greek traders and Greek neighbors in Magna
Graecia, the Hellenic civilization of southern Italy. The Etruscans are generally believed to have spoken a non-Indo-European
language. In the 8th and 7th centuries, driven by unsettled conditions at home, Greek colonies were established in Sicily and the
southern part of the Italian peninsula. During the Early Middle Ages, following the Gothic War that was disastrous for the region,
new waves of Byzantine Christian Greeks came to Magna Graecia from Greece and Asia Minor, as southern Italy remained loosely
governed by the Eastern Roman Empire until the advent first of the Lombards, then of the Normans. In the following centuries,
Rome started expanding its territory, defeating its neighbours (Veium, the other Latins, the Sannites) one after the other. During the
Republic, Italia was not a province, but rather the territory of the city of Rome, thus having a special status. After the death of
emperor Theodosius I (395), Italia became part of the Western Roman Empire. Then came the years of the barbarian invasions,
and the capital was moved from Mediolanum to Ravenna. In 476, with the death of Romulus Augustus and the return of the imperial
ensigns to Constantinople, the Western Roman Empire ends; for a few years Italia stayed united under the rule of Odovacer, but
later it was divided between several kingdoms, and did not reunite under a single ruler until thirteen centuries later. In 476, the last
Roman Emperor was overthrown by the Germanic general Odoacer who ruled Italy until 493, largely maintaining Roman customs
and culture. Odoacer's rule came to an end when the Ostrogoths under the leadership of Theodoric conquered Italy. This led to the
Gothic War during which the armies of Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian won a pyrrhic victory over the Goths in Italy. The Gothic
War destroyed the infrastructure of Italy and allowed the more barbarous Germanic tribe, the Lombards to take control of Italy.
The Lombards established a kingdom in northern Italy and three principalities in the South. After the Lombard invasion, the popes
(for example, St. Gregory) were nominally subject to the eastern emperor, but often received little help from Constantinople, and
had to fill the lack of stately power, providing essential services (such as food for the needy) and protecting Rome from Lombard
incursions; in this way, the popes started building an independent state. Facing a new Lombard offensive, the papacy appealed to
the Franks for aid. In 756 Frankish forces defeated the Lombards and gave the Papacy legal authority over much of central Italy,
thus creating the Papal States. In the twelfth century those Italian cities which lay in the Holy Roman Empire launched a successful
effort to win autonomy from the Holy Roman Empire; this made north Italy a land of quasi-independent or independent city-states
until the 19th century. By 1158 the Byzantine army had left Italy, with only a few permanent gains. By the late Middle Ages, central
and southern Italy, once the heartland of the Roman Empire, was far poorer than the north. Rome was a city largely in ruins, and the
Papal States were a loosely administered region with little law and order. Partly because of this, the Papacy had relocated to
Avignon in France. Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia had for some time been under foreign domination. The Italian trade routes that
covered the Mediterranean and beyond were major conduits of culture and knowledge. The city-states of Italy expanded greatly
during this period and grew in power to become de facto fully independent of the Holy Roman Empire. A series of foreign invasions
of Italy known as the Italian Wars that would continue for several decades. These began with the 1494 invasion by France that
wreaked widespread devastation on Northern Italy and ended the independence of many of the city-states. Most damaging was the
May 6, 1527, Spanish and German troops sacking Rome that all but ended the role of the Papacy as the largest patron of
Renaissance art and architecture. The history of Italy in the Early Modern period was characterized by foreign domination:
Following the Italian Wars (1494 to 1559), Italy saw a long period of relative peace, first under Habsburg Spain (1559 to 1713)
and then under Habsburg Austria (1713 to 1796). During the Napoleonic era, Italy was a client state of the French Republic (1796
to 1814). The Congress of Vienna (1814) restored the situation of the late 18th century, which was however quickly overturned by
the incipient movement of Italian unification. It is difficult to pin down exact dates for the beginning and end of Italian reunification,
but most scholars agree that it began with the end of Napoleonic rule and the Congress of Vienna in 1815, and approximately
ended with the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, though the last "città irredente" did not join the Kingdom of Italy until the Italian
victory in World War I. Italy became a nation-state belatedly — on March 17, 1861, when most of the states of the peninsula were
united under king Victor Emmanuel II of the Savoy dynasty, which ruled over Piedmont. At the beginning of World War I Italy
remained neutral. The Italian government claimed that the Triple Alliance was only for defensive purposes. The Fascist government
of Prime Minister and dictator Benito Mussolini that took over in 1922 led to the alliance with Germany (the Axis) and Japan.
Ultimately the alliance led to defeat in World War II. The Allied Powers invaded Sicily in 1943 and gradually made their way to the
Italian mainland. After the war, on June 2, 1946, a referendum on the monarchy resulted in the establishment of the Italian Republic,
which led to the adoption of a new constitution on January 1, 1948. Italy is a charter member of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization and the European Union. It joined the growing political and economic unification of Western Europe, including the
introduction of the Euro in 1999. In 2001 the center-right took the government and Berlusconi was able to remain in power for the
complete five year mandate but having to pass through a crisis and a government's reshuffle. In 2006 returned Prodi in the
government with a slim majority. This was short lived as Berlusconi regain control of parliament in April 2008.
Source: Wikipedia: History of Italy
upon the Roman Republic by the conquering Italic tribes of the contemporary Abruzzo region, centering in the area of Corfinium
(Corfinio). Terramare culture takes its name from the black earth (terremare) residue of settlement mounds.. The occupations of the
terramare people as compared with their Neolithic predecessors may be inferred with comparative certainty. They were still
hunters, but had domesticated animals; they were fairly skilful metallurgists. It is thought the Terremare culture may be an early
manifestation of Italic-speaking Indo-Europeans. Villanovan culture brought iron-working to the Italian peninsula; Villanovans
practiced cremation and buried the ashes of their dead in pottery urns of distinctive double-cone shape. Generally speaking,
Villanovan settlements were centered in the Po River valley and Etruria round Bologna, later an important Etruscan center, and
areas in Emilia Romagna (at Verruchio and Fermi), in Tuscany and Lazio. Further south, in Campania, a region where inhumation
was the general practice, Villanovan cremation burials have been identified at Capua, at the "princely tombs" of Pontecagnano near
queer (finds conserved in the Museum of Agro Picentino) and at Sala Consilina. Culture that is identifiably and certainly Etruscan
developed in Italy after about 800 BC approximately over the range of the preceding Iron Age Villanovan culture. The latter gave
way in the 7th century to an increasingly orientalizing culture that was influenced by Greek traders and Greek neighbors in Magna
Graecia, the Hellenic civilization of southern Italy. The Etruscans are generally believed to have spoken a non-Indo-European
language. In the 8th and 7th centuries, driven by unsettled conditions at home, Greek colonies were established in Sicily and the
southern part of the Italian peninsula. During the Early Middle Ages, following the Gothic War that was disastrous for the region,
new waves of Byzantine Christian Greeks came to Magna Graecia from Greece and Asia Minor, as southern Italy remained loosely
governed by the Eastern Roman Empire until the advent first of the Lombards, then of the Normans. In the following centuries,
Rome started expanding its territory, defeating its neighbours (Veium, the other Latins, the Sannites) one after the other. During the
Republic, Italia was not a province, but rather the territory of the city of Rome, thus having a special status. After the death of
emperor Theodosius I (395), Italia became part of the Western Roman Empire. Then came the years of the barbarian invasions,
and the capital was moved from Mediolanum to Ravenna. In 476, with the death of Romulus Augustus and the return of the imperial
ensigns to Constantinople, the Western Roman Empire ends; for a few years Italia stayed united under the rule of Odovacer, but
later it was divided between several kingdoms, and did not reunite under a single ruler until thirteen centuries later. In 476, the last
Roman Emperor was overthrown by the Germanic general Odoacer who ruled Italy until 493, largely maintaining Roman customs
and culture. Odoacer's rule came to an end when the Ostrogoths under the leadership of Theodoric conquered Italy. This led to the
Gothic War during which the armies of Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian won a pyrrhic victory over the Goths in Italy. The Gothic
War destroyed the infrastructure of Italy and allowed the more barbarous Germanic tribe, the Lombards to take control of Italy.
The Lombards established a kingdom in northern Italy and three principalities in the South. After the Lombard invasion, the popes
(for example, St. Gregory) were nominally subject to the eastern emperor, but often received little help from Constantinople, and
had to fill the lack of stately power, providing essential services (such as food for the needy) and protecting Rome from Lombard
incursions; in this way, the popes started building an independent state. Facing a new Lombard offensive, the papacy appealed to
the Franks for aid. In 756 Frankish forces defeated the Lombards and gave the Papacy legal authority over much of central Italy,
thus creating the Papal States. In the twelfth century those Italian cities which lay in the Holy Roman Empire launched a successful
effort to win autonomy from the Holy Roman Empire; this made north Italy a land of quasi-independent or independent city-states
until the 19th century. By 1158 the Byzantine army had left Italy, with only a few permanent gains. By the late Middle Ages, central
and southern Italy, once the heartland of the Roman Empire, was far poorer than the north. Rome was a city largely in ruins, and the
Papal States were a loosely administered region with little law and order. Partly because of this, the Papacy had relocated to
Avignon in France. Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia had for some time been under foreign domination. The Italian trade routes that
covered the Mediterranean and beyond were major conduits of culture and knowledge. The city-states of Italy expanded greatly
during this period and grew in power to become de facto fully independent of the Holy Roman Empire. A series of foreign invasions
of Italy known as the Italian Wars that would continue for several decades. These began with the 1494 invasion by France that
wreaked widespread devastation on Northern Italy and ended the independence of many of the city-states. Most damaging was the
May 6, 1527, Spanish and German troops sacking Rome that all but ended the role of the Papacy as the largest patron of
Renaissance art and architecture. The history of Italy in the Early Modern period was characterized by foreign domination:
Following the Italian Wars (1494 to 1559), Italy saw a long period of relative peace, first under Habsburg Spain (1559 to 1713)
and then under Habsburg Austria (1713 to 1796). During the Napoleonic era, Italy was a client state of the French Republic (1796
to 1814). The Congress of Vienna (1814) restored the situation of the late 18th century, which was however quickly overturned by
the incipient movement of Italian unification. It is difficult to pin down exact dates for the beginning and end of Italian reunification,
but most scholars agree that it began with the end of Napoleonic rule and the Congress of Vienna in 1815, and approximately
ended with the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, though the last "città irredente" did not join the Kingdom of Italy until the Italian
victory in World War I. Italy became a nation-state belatedly — on March 17, 1861, when most of the states of the peninsula were
united under king Victor Emmanuel II of the Savoy dynasty, which ruled over Piedmont. At the beginning of World War I Italy
remained neutral. The Italian government claimed that the Triple Alliance was only for defensive purposes. The Fascist government
of Prime Minister and dictator Benito Mussolini that took over in 1922 led to the alliance with Germany (the Axis) and Japan.
Ultimately the alliance led to defeat in World War II. The Allied Powers invaded Sicily in 1943 and gradually made their way to the
Italian mainland. After the war, on June 2, 1946, a referendum on the monarchy resulted in the establishment of the Italian Republic,
which led to the adoption of a new constitution on January 1, 1948. Italy is a charter member of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization and the European Union. It joined the growing political and economic unification of Western Europe, including the
introduction of the Euro in 1999. In 2001 the center-right took the government and Berlusconi was able to remain in power for the
complete five year mandate but having to pass through a crisis and a government's reshuffle. In 2006 returned Prodi in the
government with a slim majority. This was short lived as Berlusconi regain control of parliament in April 2008.
Source: Wikipedia: History of Italy
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
Italy has a diversified industrial economy, which is divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a
less-developed, welfare-dependent, agricultural south, with high unemployment. The Italian economy is driven in large part by the
manufacture of high-quality consumer goods produced by small and medium-sized enterprises, many of them family owned. Italy
also has a sizable underground economy, which by some estimates accounts for as much as 15% of GDP. These activities are most
common within the agriculture, construction, and service sectors. Italy has moved slowly on implementing needed structural reforms,
such as reducing graft, overhauling costly entitlement programs, and increasing employment opportunities for young workers,
particularly women. The international financial crisis worsened conditions in Italy's labor market, with unemployment rising from
6.2% in 2007 to 8.4% in 2010, but in the longer-term Italy's low fertility rate and quota-driven immigration policies will increasingly
strain its economy. A rise in exports and investment driven by the global economic recovery nevertheless helped the economy grow
by about 1% in 2010 following a 5% contraction in 2009. The Italian government has struggled to limit government spending, but
Italy's exceedingly high public debt remains above 115% of GDP, and its fiscal deficit - just 1.5% of GDP in 2007 - exceeded 5%
in 2009 and 2010, as the costs of servicing the country's debt rose.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Italy)
less-developed, welfare-dependent, agricultural south, with high unemployment. The Italian economy is driven in large part by the
manufacture of high-quality consumer goods produced by small and medium-sized enterprises, many of them family owned. Italy
also has a sizable underground economy, which by some estimates accounts for as much as 15% of GDP. These activities are most
common within the agriculture, construction, and service sectors. Italy has moved slowly on implementing needed structural reforms,
such as reducing graft, overhauling costly entitlement programs, and increasing employment opportunities for young workers,
particularly women. The international financial crisis worsened conditions in Italy's labor market, with unemployment rising from
6.2% in 2007 to 8.4% in 2010, but in the longer-term Italy's low fertility rate and quota-driven immigration policies will increasingly
strain its economy. A rise in exports and investment driven by the global economic recovery nevertheless helped the economy grow
by about 1% in 2010 following a 5% contraction in 2009. The Italian government has struggled to limit government spending, but
Italy's exceedingly high public debt remains above 115% of GDP, and its fiscal deficit - just 1.5% of GDP in 2007 - exceeded 5%
in 2009 and 2010, as the costs of servicing the country's debt rose.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Italy)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
From 1992 to 1997, Italy faced significant challenges, as voters, disenchanted with past political paralysis, massive government
debt, extensive corruption, and organized crime's considerable influence--collectively called Tangentopoli after being uncovered by
Mani pulite)--demanded political, economic, and ethical reforms. The 1994 elections also swept media magnate Silvio Berlusconi
(leader of "House of Freedoms" coalition) into office as Prime Minister. Berlusconi, however, was forced to step down in
December 1994 when the Lega Nord withdrew support. The Berlusconi government was succeeded by a technical government
headed by Prime Minister Lamberto Dini, which left office in early 1996.
National elections held on May 13, 2001 returned Berlusconi to power at the head of the five-party center-right "Freedom House"
coalition, comprising the prime minister's own party, Forza Italia, the National Alliance, the Northern League, the Christian
Democratic Center, and the Democrats' Center Union. Between May 17, 2006 and Feb 21 2007, Romano Prodi served as Prime
Minister of Italy following the narrow victory of his l'Unione coalition over the Casa delle Libertà led by Silvio Berlusconi in the
April 2006 Italian elections. Following a government crisis, Prodi submitted his resignation on February 21, 2007. Three days later
he was asked by the Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano to stay on as Prime Minister and he agreed to do so. On 28 February
2007, Prodi narrowly survived a senate no confidence vote but was replaced by Berlusconi in April 2008.
In general there is wide consensus on the fact that Italian politics has been undergoing a slow involution over at least the last decade.
This has been sometimes cited, even by some Italian politicians, as a cause of the general feeling of lack of representation Italians
recently seem to suffer from. Corruption is still widespread and the Italian administration is often perceived as inefficient and
expensive, with even technical positions assigned for political reasons (at best). As a matter of fact an enormous amount of
unjustified privileges are presently connected to political and administrative positions, regardless of skill, integrity and efficiency of
the holder.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Italy
debt, extensive corruption, and organized crime's considerable influence--collectively called Tangentopoli after being uncovered by
Mani pulite)--demanded political, economic, and ethical reforms. The 1994 elections also swept media magnate Silvio Berlusconi
(leader of "House of Freedoms" coalition) into office as Prime Minister. Berlusconi, however, was forced to step down in
December 1994 when the Lega Nord withdrew support. The Berlusconi government was succeeded by a technical government
headed by Prime Minister Lamberto Dini, which left office in early 1996.
National elections held on May 13, 2001 returned Berlusconi to power at the head of the five-party center-right "Freedom House"
coalition, comprising the prime minister's own party, Forza Italia, the National Alliance, the Northern League, the Christian
Democratic Center, and the Democrats' Center Union. Between May 17, 2006 and Feb 21 2007, Romano Prodi served as Prime
Minister of Italy following the narrow victory of his l'Unione coalition over the Casa delle Libertà led by Silvio Berlusconi in the
April 2006 Italian elections. Following a government crisis, Prodi submitted his resignation on February 21, 2007. Three days later
he was asked by the Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano to stay on as Prime Minister and he agreed to do so. On 28 February
2007, Prodi narrowly survived a senate no confidence vote but was replaced by Berlusconi in April 2008.
In general there is wide consensus on the fact that Italian politics has been undergoing a slow involution over at least the last decade.
This has been sometimes cited, even by some Italian politicians, as a cause of the general feeling of lack of representation Italians
recently seem to suffer from. Corruption is still widespread and the Italian administration is often perceived as inefficient and
expensive, with even technical positions assigned for political reasons (at best). As a matter of fact an enormous amount of
unjustified privileges are presently connected to political and administrative positions, regardless of skill, integrity and efficiency of
the holder.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Italy
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and northern
Africa
Africa
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) |
None reported.
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
Important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market;
money laundering by organized crime and from smuggling
money laundering by organized crime and from smuggling
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Report: Italy
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Italy is a multiparty parliamentary democracy with a population of approximately 59.1 million. The bicameral parliament consists of the
Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers, headed by the president of the council
(the prime minister). The president, who is the head of state, nominates the prime minister after consulting with the leaders of all political
forces in the parliament. International observers considered the April 2008 national parliamentary elections free and fair. Civilian
authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces.
The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens, although there were problems with
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Italy is a multiparty parliamentary democracy with a population of approximately 59.1 million. The bicameral parliament consists of the
Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers, headed by the president of the council
(the prime minister). The president, who is the head of state, nominates the prime minister after consulting with the leaders of all political
forces in the parliament. International observers considered the April 2008 national parliamentary elections free and fair. Civilian
authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces.
The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens, although there were problems with
- lengthy pretrial detention;
- excessively long court proceedings;
- violence against women;
- trafficking in persons;
- abuse of homosexuals, Roma, and other minorities.
26 January 2009
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Tenth session Agenda item 3
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL
RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT
Report of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention*
Addendum
MISSION TO ITALY**
Summary
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention visited Italy from 3 to 14 November 2008 on invitation of the Government. The present
report contains the findings of the Working Group on both detention in the criminal justice system and administrative detention,
particularly of migrants and asylum-seekers.
The Working Group found that safeguards against illegal detention in the criminal justice system are numerous and, at least on paper,
incisive. The excessive duration of criminal proceedings, however, can lead to situations of arbitrary detention, both when defendants
are in remand custody or when, though not detained pending trial, they are then ordered to serve a prison sentence after a completely
unreasonable amount of time has lapsed since the offence. The percentage of prisoners awaiting final judgement in their case - and thus
not serving a final sentence - is far in excess of that of other Western European States.
Immigrants are seriously over-represented in the prison population and do not de facto benefit from access to alternatives to
imprisonment to the same extent as Italian citizens do. The Government has declared that organized crime of the mafia type, the threat of
international terrorism and crime by irregular migrants constitute public security emergencies and has responded to each of them by
adopting extraordinary measures. The Working Group is concerned specifically about the safeguards regarding repeated extensions of
detention under article 41 bis of the law on the penitentiary system; the deportation of foreigners suspected of terrorist activities to
countries where they are at risk of arbitrary detention and torture; and norms that will increase the already disproportionate incarceration
of foreigners.
With regard to first reception centres for asylum-seekers, the Working Group notes that the limitations on the liberty of asylum-seekers
held in them do not have a sound legal basis. It also has a number of concerns regarding the detention of irregular migrants in
identification and expulsion centres. These concerns refer, inter alia, to the detention of persons already having served a criminal
sentence, the detention of asylum-seekers, and the (often repeated) detention of persons who are in fact unlikely to be deported.
The juvenile justice system provides for a wide range of alternatives to criminal proceedings against children in conflict with the law and,
in the event of trial and conviction, alternatives to imprisonment aimed at permitting the continued education of the child and his or
her successful reintegration into the community.
Click here to read more »
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Tenth session Agenda item 3
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL
RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT
Report of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention*
Addendum
MISSION TO ITALY**
Summary
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention visited Italy from 3 to 14 November 2008 on invitation of the Government. The present
report contains the findings of the Working Group on both detention in the criminal justice system and administrative detention,
particularly of migrants and asylum-seekers.
The Working Group found that safeguards against illegal detention in the criminal justice system are numerous and, at least on paper,
incisive. The excessive duration of criminal proceedings, however, can lead to situations of arbitrary detention, both when defendants
are in remand custody or when, though not detained pending trial, they are then ordered to serve a prison sentence after a completely
unreasonable amount of time has lapsed since the offence. The percentage of prisoners awaiting final judgement in their case - and thus
not serving a final sentence - is far in excess of that of other Western European States.
Immigrants are seriously over-represented in the prison population and do not de facto benefit from access to alternatives to
imprisonment to the same extent as Italian citizens do. The Government has declared that organized crime of the mafia type, the threat of
international terrorism and crime by irregular migrants constitute public security emergencies and has responded to each of them by
adopting extraordinary measures. The Working Group is concerned specifically about the safeguards regarding repeated extensions of
detention under article 41 bis of the law on the penitentiary system; the deportation of foreigners suspected of terrorist activities to
countries where they are at risk of arbitrary detention and torture; and norms that will increase the already disproportionate incarceration
of foreigners.
With regard to first reception centres for asylum-seekers, the Working Group notes that the limitations on the liberty of asylum-seekers
held in them do not have a sound legal basis. It also has a number of concerns regarding the detention of irregular migrants in
identification and expulsion centres. These concerns refer, inter alia, to the detention of persons already having served a criminal
sentence, the detention of asylum-seekers, and the (often repeated) detention of persons who are in fact unlikely to be deported.
The juvenile justice system provides for a wide range of alternatives to criminal proceedings against children in conflict with the law and,
in the event of trial and conviction, alternatives to imprisonment aimed at permitting the continued education of the child and his or
her successful reintegration into the community.
Click here to read more »
Berlusconi Bill Hurts Press Freedom, Crime Probes (Update1)
May 21, 2010, 8:39 AM EDT
May 21 (Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s biggest media owner, is backing a bill that penalizes the press and is
contrary to international standards, the U.S.- based Freedom House said.
Freedom House, a non-profit advocate for global democracy, said last month that Italian media are only “partly free,” ranking the
country’s press liberty 72nd in the world behind Tonga and just ahead of Bulgaria and Namibia. A bill that foresees possible jail time and
heavy fines for reporting on criminal investigations is now being debated in the Senate.
The draft law “could penalize journalists for reporting on publicly available information or news that is in the public interest,” Karin
Karlekar, senior researcher and managing director at Freedom House in New York, said in an interview. “The provisions of such harsh
penalties for journalists are out of line with prevailing best practice for decriminalizing press offenses.”
Berlusconi, 73, owns Mediaset SpA, the country’s biggest private television broadcaster, and Arnoldo Mondadori Editore SpA, the
largest magazine publisher. The Italian unit of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., which competes with Mediaset, yesterday called the draft
law a “serious attack on press freedom” and said it will challenge the measure in the European Court of Human Rights.
Criticized by Publishers
Mondadori refused to sign a joint statement promoted among Italian publishers denouncing the bill, which foresees a penalty of as much
as 465,000 euros ($581,436) for printing information on criminal investigations. The law would prevent reporting on criminal probes that
haven’t yet reached their final phase, just before charges are filed.
The same bill also places restrictions on the use of wiretaps in criminal investigations, requiring more evidence to begin to record
suspects’ conversations, and a time limit of three months of calls. U.S. Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer, when asked about
the draft law today in Rome, said telephone recordings are “essential” to organized crime investigations.
“Obviously, from a prosecutor’s point of view, you don’t want anything to occur that prevents the Italians from doing as they’ve done
in the past” when they were “extraordinary partners” in U.S. mafia investigations, Breuer said.
Italian prosecutors have also criticized the bill, saying it could limit their abilities to carry out criminal probes.
Possible Amendments
Roberto Centaro, the lawmaker sponsoring the bill in the Senate, yesterday said the government would amend it to reduce the possible
jail time for journalists to 30 days from 60, and the fine on them to 5,000 euros from 10,000 euros. The amendment would halve
possible fines for publishers as well, la Repubblica newspaper reported today.
Italy’s national association of journalists will also contest the law at the European Court of Human Rights if it is passed, according to a
statement on its website. The proposal will compromise press freedom and even 30 days of jail and a fine of 5,000 euros would be too
much, the group said today.
Click here to read more »
May 21, 2010, 8:39 AM EDT
May 21 (Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s biggest media owner, is backing a bill that penalizes the press and is
contrary to international standards, the U.S.- based Freedom House said.
Freedom House, a non-profit advocate for global democracy, said last month that Italian media are only “partly free,” ranking the
country’s press liberty 72nd in the world behind Tonga and just ahead of Bulgaria and Namibia. A bill that foresees possible jail time and
heavy fines for reporting on criminal investigations is now being debated in the Senate.
The draft law “could penalize journalists for reporting on publicly available information or news that is in the public interest,” Karin
Karlekar, senior researcher and managing director at Freedom House in New York, said in an interview. “The provisions of such harsh
penalties for journalists are out of line with prevailing best practice for decriminalizing press offenses.”
Berlusconi, 73, owns Mediaset SpA, the country’s biggest private television broadcaster, and Arnoldo Mondadori Editore SpA, the
largest magazine publisher. The Italian unit of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., which competes with Mediaset, yesterday called the draft
law a “serious attack on press freedom” and said it will challenge the measure in the European Court of Human Rights.
Criticized by Publishers
Mondadori refused to sign a joint statement promoted among Italian publishers denouncing the bill, which foresees a penalty of as much
as 465,000 euros ($581,436) for printing information on criminal investigations. The law would prevent reporting on criminal probes that
haven’t yet reached their final phase, just before charges are filed.
The same bill also places restrictions on the use of wiretaps in criminal investigations, requiring more evidence to begin to record
suspects’ conversations, and a time limit of three months of calls. U.S. Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer, when asked about
the draft law today in Rome, said telephone recordings are “essential” to organized crime investigations.
“Obviously, from a prosecutor’s point of view, you don’t want anything to occur that prevents the Italians from doing as they’ve done
in the past” when they were “extraordinary partners” in U.S. mafia investigations, Breuer said.
Italian prosecutors have also criticized the bill, saying it could limit their abilities to carry out criminal probes.
Possible Amendments
Roberto Centaro, the lawmaker sponsoring the bill in the Senate, yesterday said the government would amend it to reduce the possible
jail time for journalists to 30 days from 60, and the fine on them to 5,000 euros from 10,000 euros. The amendment would halve
possible fines for publishers as well, la Repubblica newspaper reported today.
Italy’s national association of journalists will also contest the law at the European Court of Human Rights if it is passed, according to a
statement on its website. The proposal will compromise press freedom and even 30 days of jail and a fine of 5,000 euros would be too
much, the group said today.
Click here to read more »
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC STATEMENT
17 December 2010
Italy: Court Upholds Convictions in Abu Omar Kidnapping Case
The confirmation by the Milan appeals court of the 2009 convictions of US and Italian agents for their involvement in the abduction of
Usama Mostafa Hassan Nasr (known as Abu Omar), represents another step forward in the effort to seek accountability for renditions in
Europe. The Italian government’s claims of “state secrecy”, however, resulted in the dismissal of charges on appeal against five Italian
high ranking intelligence officials.
Abu Omar, an Egyptian national who was residing in Italy, was abducted from a street in Milan in February 2003 and subsequently
unlawfully transferred by the CIA from Italy to Egypt where he was held in secret and allegedly tortured.
On 15 December 2010, the appeals court affirmed the convictions of 25 individuals, including 22 CIA agents, a US military official, and
two Italian intelligence operatives. The convictions on charges of kidnapping were increased from five to seven years of imprisonment
for the 22 CIA agents and from eight to nine years for the US military official. The punishment for the two Italian intelligence operatives
accused of aiding and abetting in the commission of a criminal offence was decreased from three years to two years and eight months.
Charges against five high-level officials of the Italian intelligence agency (formerly Servizio per le informazioni e la sicurezza militare or
SISMI), including its former head Niccolò Pollari and deputy head Marco Mancini, were dismissed on appeal due to government claims
that key evidence against the men should not be disclosed as a matter of “state secrecy”. The appeal against the dismissal of charges
against three US citizens who were granted diplomatic immunity in the trial court judgment will be examined in a separate appeals
process.
The appeals court's recognition that Abu Omar suffered a grave injustice at the hands of US and Italian intelligence actors is another step
forward in the effort to seek accountability in Europe for abuses in the context of the CIA rendition and secret detention programmes.
The Italian courts have acknowledged that the chain of events leading to such serious abuses cannot go unanswered.
The Italian government and its officials, however, should not be able to use “state secrecy” as a shield to cover up human rights abuses.
The government must engage in a full and fair accountability process even if its officials are embarrassed or even vulnerable to criminal
charges for their actions.
Click here to read more »
PUBLIC STATEMENT
17 December 2010
Italy: Court Upholds Convictions in Abu Omar Kidnapping Case
The confirmation by the Milan appeals court of the 2009 convictions of US and Italian agents for their involvement in the abduction of
Usama Mostafa Hassan Nasr (known as Abu Omar), represents another step forward in the effort to seek accountability for renditions in
Europe. The Italian government’s claims of “state secrecy”, however, resulted in the dismissal of charges on appeal against five Italian
high ranking intelligence officials.
Abu Omar, an Egyptian national who was residing in Italy, was abducted from a street in Milan in February 2003 and subsequently
unlawfully transferred by the CIA from Italy to Egypt where he was held in secret and allegedly tortured.
On 15 December 2010, the appeals court affirmed the convictions of 25 individuals, including 22 CIA agents, a US military official, and
two Italian intelligence operatives. The convictions on charges of kidnapping were increased from five to seven years of imprisonment
for the 22 CIA agents and from eight to nine years for the US military official. The punishment for the two Italian intelligence operatives
accused of aiding and abetting in the commission of a criminal offence was decreased from three years to two years and eight months.
Charges against five high-level officials of the Italian intelligence agency (formerly Servizio per le informazioni e la sicurezza militare or
SISMI), including its former head Niccolò Pollari and deputy head Marco Mancini, were dismissed on appeal due to government claims
that key evidence against the men should not be disclosed as a matter of “state secrecy”. The appeal against the dismissal of charges
against three US citizens who were granted diplomatic immunity in the trial court judgment will be examined in a separate appeals
process.
The appeals court's recognition that Abu Omar suffered a grave injustice at the hands of US and Italian intelligence actors is another step
forward in the effort to seek accountability in Europe for abuses in the context of the CIA rendition and secret detention programmes.
The Italian courts have acknowledged that the chain of events leading to such serious abuses cannot go unanswered.
The Italian government and its officials, however, should not be able to use “state secrecy” as a shield to cover up human rights abuses.
The government must engage in a full and fair accountability process even if its officials are embarrassed or even vulnerable to criminal
charges for their actions.
Click here to read more »
Global: Flawed Policies Expose Migrants to Abuse
2010 Marked by Labor Exploitation, Violence, and Limited Access to Justice
December 11, 2010
(Jakarta) - Many governments' immigration policies and protection gaps expose migrants to abuse, Human Rights Watch said in a report
today in advance of International Migrants Day, December 18, 2010. The abuses include labor exploitation, violence, trafficking,
mistreatment in detention, and killings, yet the nations involved offer limited recourse to seek justice, Human Rights Watch said.
The 48-page roundup of Human Rights Watch reporting on violations of migrants' rights in 2010, "Rights on the Line: Human Rights
Watch Work on Abuses against Migrants in 2010," includes coverage of Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.
"Migrants are consistently among those at highest risk of abuse, but also among those least likely to have access to services or justice,"
said Nisha Varia, senior women's rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Many governments make things worse with policies that
aggravate discrimination or make it hard for migrants even to approach authorities for help."
More than 215 million people live outside their country of birth, according to the United Nations. International migration helps fuel
economies across the globe. The World Bank estimates that migrants sent home more than US$440 billion in 2010, $325 billion of which
went to developing countries.
Many countries rely on migrant workers to fill labor shortages in low-paying, dangerous, and poorly regulated jobs. Human Rights
Watch documented labor exploitation and barriers to redress for migrants in agriculture, domestic work, and construction in Indonesia,
Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Immigration
sponsorship systems in many countries give employers immense control over workers and lead to migrants being trapped in abusive
situations or unable to pursue redress through the justice system.
"Governments have begun to address abuse of migrant workers, including with strengthened employment contracts and labor law
provisions," Varia said. "But these reforms have been slow and incremental, and governments have fallen especially short when it comes
to making sure migrants know about and benefit from such changes."
Human Rights Watch also found that men, women, and children can risk their lives to cross borders, and may face abuse while in
no-man's lands between border checkpoints, on the high seas, or at the international zones of airports. For example, Egyptian border
guards shot dead at least 28 migrants attempting to cross the Sinai border into Israel in 2010. Human Rights Watch research on Italy,
Libya, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, Greece, Spain, and the European Union documented border control policies that flout international
standards, fail to screen and provide appropriate services for vulnerable populations such as unaccompanied children, asylum-seekers,
and trafficking victims, or subject migrants to poor conditions in detention.
Click here to read more »
2010 Marked by Labor Exploitation, Violence, and Limited Access to Justice
December 11, 2010
(Jakarta) - Many governments' immigration policies and protection gaps expose migrants to abuse, Human Rights Watch said in a report
today in advance of International Migrants Day, December 18, 2010. The abuses include labor exploitation, violence, trafficking,
mistreatment in detention, and killings, yet the nations involved offer limited recourse to seek justice, Human Rights Watch said.
The 48-page roundup of Human Rights Watch reporting on violations of migrants' rights in 2010, "Rights on the Line: Human Rights
Watch Work on Abuses against Migrants in 2010," includes coverage of Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.
"Migrants are consistently among those at highest risk of abuse, but also among those least likely to have access to services or justice,"
said Nisha Varia, senior women's rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Many governments make things worse with policies that
aggravate discrimination or make it hard for migrants even to approach authorities for help."
More than 215 million people live outside their country of birth, according to the United Nations. International migration helps fuel
economies across the globe. The World Bank estimates that migrants sent home more than US$440 billion in 2010, $325 billion of which
went to developing countries.
Many countries rely on migrant workers to fill labor shortages in low-paying, dangerous, and poorly regulated jobs. Human Rights
Watch documented labor exploitation and barriers to redress for migrants in agriculture, domestic work, and construction in Indonesia,
Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Immigration
sponsorship systems in many countries give employers immense control over workers and lead to migrants being trapped in abusive
situations or unable to pursue redress through the justice system.
"Governments have begun to address abuse of migrant workers, including with strengthened employment contracts and labor law
provisions," Varia said. "But these reforms have been slow and incremental, and governments have fallen especially short when it comes
to making sure migrants know about and benefit from such changes."
Human Rights Watch also found that men, women, and children can risk their lives to cross borders, and may face abuse while in
no-man's lands between border checkpoints, on the high seas, or at the international zones of airports. For example, Egyptian border
guards shot dead at least 28 migrants attempting to cross the Sinai border into Israel in 2010. Human Rights Watch research on Italy,
Libya, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, Greece, Spain, and the European Union documented border control policies that flout international
standards, fail to screen and provide appropriate services for vulnerable populations such as unaccompanied children, asylum-seekers,
and trafficking victims, or subject migrants to poor conditions in detention.
Click here to read more »
PRESS RELEASE CONCERNING THE VOTE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY’S THIRD COMMISSION ON A RESOLUTION
SEEKING MORATORIUM ON DEATH PENALTY (November 11, 2010)
11/11/2010
Italian Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini, welcomed with satisfaction the outcome of the vote of the Third Commission of the United
Nations General Assembly in New York on a resolution establishing a universal moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the
death penalty.
The resolution was approved by 107 votes in favor, 38 votes against, and 36 abstentions, confirming once again a clear upward trend in
the number of countries supporting the moratorium.
This result, Minister Frattini commented, stems from the commitment of the Italian Government, in close cooperation with the other
Members of the European Union, to forging and maintaining a strong alliance between the countries of all of the regional groups
supporting the campaign against the death penalty.
Thus, as highlighted in Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s recent report on the issue, an international movement against capital
punishment is gaining momentum toward the complete abolition of the death penalty and it reflects the strong conviction of the
international community.
This year, Minister Frattini went on to say, a few amendments to the resolution were proposed aiming to restrict the number of offences
for which recourse is still made to the death penalty. In particular, countries are being asked to make their data on death penalty
sentences available since a better informed public opinion can, on its own, lead to fewer executions. Greater emphasis is also given to the
fact that the death penalty, in countries that still use it, must be subject to minimum standards set by the UN, including, for example, the
non applicability of the death penalty to minors or the mentally ill.
We now await, Minister Frattini concluded, that the text be approved in the General Assembly in December with an even greater
consensus – an objective on which we are already working.
Minister Frattini wished to thank the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its diplomatic network abroad, starting with the Italian
Mission to the UN in New York, which successfully guided the delicate negotiations. He also thanked the civil society organizations
involved in the campaign since their contribution proved, as always, vital.
Click here to read more »
SEEKING MORATORIUM ON DEATH PENALTY (November 11, 2010)
11/11/2010
Italian Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini, welcomed with satisfaction the outcome of the vote of the Third Commission of the United
Nations General Assembly in New York on a resolution establishing a universal moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the
death penalty.
The resolution was approved by 107 votes in favor, 38 votes against, and 36 abstentions, confirming once again a clear upward trend in
the number of countries supporting the moratorium.
This result, Minister Frattini commented, stems from the commitment of the Italian Government, in close cooperation with the other
Members of the European Union, to forging and maintaining a strong alliance between the countries of all of the regional groups
supporting the campaign against the death penalty.
Thus, as highlighted in Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s recent report on the issue, an international movement against capital
punishment is gaining momentum toward the complete abolition of the death penalty and it reflects the strong conviction of the
international community.
This year, Minister Frattini went on to say, a few amendments to the resolution were proposed aiming to restrict the number of offences
for which recourse is still made to the death penalty. In particular, countries are being asked to make their data on death penalty
sentences available since a better informed public opinion can, on its own, lead to fewer executions. Greater emphasis is also given to the
fact that the death penalty, in countries that still use it, must be subject to minimum standards set by the UN, including, for example, the
non applicability of the death penalty to minors or the mentally ill.
We now await, Minister Frattini concluded, that the text be approved in the General Assembly in December with an even greater
consensus – an objective on which we are already working.
Minister Frattini wished to thank the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its diplomatic network abroad, starting with the Italian
Mission to the UN in New York, which successfully guided the delicate negotiations. He also thanked the civil society organizations
involved in the campaign since their contribution proved, as always, vital.
Click here to read more »
| COMITATO PER LA PROMOZIONE E PROTEZIONE DEI DIRITTI UMANI/ COMMITTEE FOR THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
TRANSLATED FROM ITALIAN BY GOOGLE TRANSLATE
Course and training facilities on the Law of Peoples
January 5, 2011
The International Section of the Foundation together with the Lower School of Journalism Course XVI promote training and
development on the Law of Peoples "Italy repudiates war? Areas of crisis, military intervention and international law."
The series of seminars will take place from January to June every last Friday of the month and the issues to be addressed in the first half
of 2011 will be the epicenter of the Peace and Human population studied, this year, following the guiding principle of all Italian missions'
abroad in recent years.
Within the series of conferences will be sought to analyze the different areas of international crisis and the modalities of the Italian
military. What were the interests at stake? What lies behind such concepts as "peace mission", or "humanitarian war"? With the help of
lawyers, historians, experts in geopolitics and journalists are going to study the processes and motivations of the presence of Italian
soldiers in different places of conflict and what was and is their role. Featured will be made to the Italian Constitution and international
law, as the forces have operated on these in the name of "humanitarian wars" or "fighting terrorism".
The contexts in which they will study are: the Somali crisis of the early nineties, the "humanitarian war" in Kosovo in 1999, the fight
against terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq, the intervention of interposition on the border between Lebanon and Israel. Particular attention
will be given to civilians, the victims of conflicts, often denied their rights, and investigation of their future destiny. Finally, the course
will conclude with an analysis on the right compares the Italian Constitution, which has contributed to Lelio Basso, with the Law of
Peoples, also born with the founding of the struggles and contribution processing of Italian jurist.
Entries will remain open until January 26, 2011.
Click here to read more »
Course and training facilities on the Law of Peoples
January 5, 2011
The International Section of the Foundation together with the Lower School of Journalism Course XVI promote training and
development on the Law of Peoples "Italy repudiates war? Areas of crisis, military intervention and international law."
The series of seminars will take place from January to June every last Friday of the month and the issues to be addressed in the first half
of 2011 will be the epicenter of the Peace and Human population studied, this year, following the guiding principle of all Italian missions'
abroad in recent years.
Within the series of conferences will be sought to analyze the different areas of international crisis and the modalities of the Italian
military. What were the interests at stake? What lies behind such concepts as "peace mission", or "humanitarian war"? With the help of
lawyers, historians, experts in geopolitics and journalists are going to study the processes and motivations of the presence of Italian
soldiers in different places of conflict and what was and is their role. Featured will be made to the Italian Constitution and international
law, as the forces have operated on these in the name of "humanitarian wars" or "fighting terrorism".
The contexts in which they will study are: the Somali crisis of the early nineties, the "humanitarian war" in Kosovo in 1999, the fight
against terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq, the intervention of interposition on the border between Lebanon and Israel. Particular attention
will be given to civilians, the victims of conflicts, often denied their rights, and investigation of their future destiny. Finally, the course
will conclude with an analysis on the right compares the Italian Constitution, which has contributed to Lelio Basso, with the Law of
Peoples, also born with the founding of the struggles and contribution processing of Italian jurist.
Entries will remain open until January 26, 2011.
Click here to read more »
Posted on 2010/12/07 by http://www.frontlinedefenders.org
Human rights defender Mr Roberto Malini was approached by unknown individuals who threatened him on 22 November 2010
in the city where he currently resides.
Roberto Malini is co-president of EveryOne Group, a human rights organisation supporting Roma people and refugees in Italy. Front
Line issued an urgent appeal in relation, respectively, to the sentencing in February 2010 of Roberto Malini and his colleague Dario
Picciau for 'disturbing a police operation', and to other charges brought against Roberto Malini, Dario Picciau and Matteo Pegoraro in
July 2010. On 22 November 2010 in Treviglio, two unknown individuals travelling in a grey car approached Roberto Malini, who was
walking on the footpath. The men, both approximately between 35 and 40 years old, stopped the car and threatened him as follows: “Be
very careful! We are watching you: you, your negros and your gypsies”. A woman walking a dog then approached from behind and the
two men left.
Roberto Malini and other members of EveryOne reported being followed and having received similar acts of intimidation on numerous
occasions, in particular in the city of Pesaro where the group was very active. However, this is the first time such an instance occurs in
Treviglio, where Roberto Malini now resides. This element suggests that he may be followed or subject to surveillance.
This episode occurred on the same day of EveryOne Group's intervention in a national radio programme and on newspapers on the
treatment of refugees and on discrimination against Roma people in Italy. Three judicial proceedings against EveryOne Group remain
pending, all of which are related to their work in support of Roma people.
In February 2010 they were sentenced to a prison term commuted into a fine for disturbing a police operation. The hearing on the
opposition to the 'penal decree' upon which they were sentenced is scheduled for 17 February 2011. Proceedings remain pending against
the group for 'falsely accusing others of the commission of a crime' in relation to a letter where they denounced an alleged
discriminatory decision of the Pesaro social services against a Roma family. Proceedings for defamation initiated by an hospital in Pesaro
in relation to the group's denunciation of an alleged denial of health care to a Roma woman also remain pending.
Click here to read more>>
Human rights defender Mr Roberto Malini was approached by unknown individuals who threatened him on 22 November 2010
in the city where he currently resides.
Roberto Malini is co-president of EveryOne Group, a human rights organisation supporting Roma people and refugees in Italy. Front
Line issued an urgent appeal in relation, respectively, to the sentencing in February 2010 of Roberto Malini and his colleague Dario
Picciau for 'disturbing a police operation', and to other charges brought against Roberto Malini, Dario Picciau and Matteo Pegoraro in
July 2010. On 22 November 2010 in Treviglio, two unknown individuals travelling in a grey car approached Roberto Malini, who was
walking on the footpath. The men, both approximately between 35 and 40 years old, stopped the car and threatened him as follows: “Be
very careful! We are watching you: you, your negros and your gypsies”. A woman walking a dog then approached from behind and the
two men left.
Roberto Malini and other members of EveryOne reported being followed and having received similar acts of intimidation on numerous
occasions, in particular in the city of Pesaro where the group was very active. However, this is the first time such an instance occurs in
Treviglio, where Roberto Malini now resides. This element suggests that he may be followed or subject to surveillance.
This episode occurred on the same day of EveryOne Group's intervention in a national radio programme and on newspapers on the
treatment of refugees and on discrimination against Roma people in Italy. Three judicial proceedings against EveryOne Group remain
pending, all of which are related to their work in support of Roma people.
In February 2010 they were sentenced to a prison term commuted into a fine for disturbing a police operation. The hearing on the
opposition to the 'penal decree' upon which they were sentenced is scheduled for 17 February 2011. Proceedings remain pending against
the group for 'falsely accusing others of the commission of a crime' in relation to a letter where they denounced an alleged
discriminatory decision of the Pesaro social services against a Roma family. Proceedings for defamation initiated by an hospital in Pesaro
in relation to the group's denunciation of an alleged denial of health care to a Roma woman also remain pending.
Click here to read more>>
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Giorgio Napolitano
President since 15 May 2006
President since 15 May 2006
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
None reported.
