It’s been ten days. Newspapers “Il Piccolo” and “Primorski Dnevnik” joined forces with the local judiciary. Their goal? Delegitimizing the Free Trieste Movement.
It all started on July 17th, when people protested the re-scheduling of an hearing reviving on the 1954 MoU regarding the Free Territory of Trieste.
The protest was a mere exercise of free speech. The Judge’s attitude did’t help (he called the Carabinieri instead of calming the people himself). It was an understandable reaction, considering that it is people standing for legality since one and a half years.
This protest became the excuse to ignite a series of hostile attacks against Free Trieste. Those who profit from the denial of legality, namely the local system of corruption, cannot win a legal battle. So they’d much rather fight a physical one.
First in line, local newspaper “Il Piccolo”. In its interview to Mr. Gulotta, President of the Criminal section of the Court, the newspaper highlighted the accuses against Free Trieste. In particular, the interview suggested that whoever supports Free Trieste acts subversively, incited the police to take action against them. The Prosecution Office and the Italian Magistrates Association were called for help as well.
The aggressive interview didn’t spare Free Trieste’s lawyer. What did he do? He requested the judge’s actions be recorded in the minutes. According to the lawyer, it was the judge’s behavior to provoke the protest.
Actions worth a magistrate-run autocracy indeed. But this was not enough. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Federico Frezza quickly and aggressively joined the bandwagon. He summoned “Il Piccolo” and “Primorski Dnevnik” and declared to them a massive campaign against Free Trieste.
Deputy Chief Prosecutor Frezza announced actions unworthy a democratic State: seizing the list of the Movement’s members, prosecuting whoever had presented exceptions of jurisdiction, questioning the simulation of Italian sovereignty over Trieste (be them members of the Movement or not!).
The local judiciary takes great offense at questions regarding jurisdiction.
Follow the title of the latest such article. Isn’t this worth a fascist regime? Isn’t it telling that this is the local establishment’s favorite newspaper?
“Tlt, Frezza ha già gli elenchi e da la caccia agli statali”, sottotitolo: “Circa duemila persone si erano recate a firmare la dichiarazione di autotutela. Rischia chi non riconosce l’Italia e lavora nell’amministrazione pubblica”.
“Ftt, Frezza has the member list and is hunting State workers”. “About 2000 people presented questions on jurisdiction in self-defense. Great risk for State workers who reject Italy, but work in public administration.
This article was specifically craft to intimidate the people, and announced severe retaliations agains pensioners and State workers who “dared” to put Italian sovereignty in question. Namely, the suspension or loss of their incomes.
Both newspapers had their own, deceptive narrations. One did even tell about the Political Police (DIGOS) marching in Free Trieste’s office and taking the list of its members.
None of it was true, of course. But it is telling that Italian magistrates serving their duties in Trieste allowed Il Piccolo to go that far. As it is telling that the people of Trieste, whose rights are violated since 1954, are portrayed as enemies of the State for seeking the re-establishment of the rule of law.
What do they get for claiming their rights? A resounding attack by Italian nationalistic press: the unholy matrimony between a judiciary unaware of its own jurisdiction and the servile press of the lobby that rules over Trieste. It is the local “nationalistic camorra” which can only see Trieste into just as one more addition to its fascist-irredentist-risorgimental landfill.
The best comment to this situation comes from another newspaper: La Voce di Trieste. Director Paolo G. Parovel was the only representative of the press to go against this despicable attempt to silence the people of Trieste who stand for the rights of the Free Territory:
“So, in Trieste a body of the Italian State that has “gone mad” (the Prosecution Office) and a newspaper, which receives public money (Il Piccolo, Gruppo Espresso) are publicly threatening with the loss of fundamental human rights people who legitimately expressed opinions and exercised fundamental rights based in international law, Community law, and even Italian law.We observe that the repressive action initiated or publicly announced against members and supporters of the Movement are in the tradition of totalitarian regimes: profiling on the bases of political ideas, loss of jobs or pensions, false accusations of crimes against the State, retaliations against lawyers, a coordinated, political use of the magistracy and of the press”.