Free Trieste’s sit-in on the Trieste – Italy border. Photo: Fabrizio Bidussi
DEFENDING THE FREE TERRITORY OF TRIESTE AND THE RIGHTS OF ITS CITIZENS
On June 15th, 2015 Free Trieste started its campaign of fiscal liberation.
Hundreds of citizens addressed specific acts to the Commissioner of the Italian Government. This officer is responsible of exercising the temporary civil administration of the present-day Free Territory of Trieste.
The documents regard Free Trieste’s request to verify, within 90 days, the Free Territory’s correct taxation. The request is also about fair taxation in the Free Territory’s international Free Port, which the Italian Government had also committed to represent in foreign relations.
It’s been three months. The provisional Italian authorities are still silent. This is why the new International Provisional Representative of the Free Territory of Trieste – I.P.R. F.T.T. was established.
The I.P.R. F.T.T. is an agency that acts upon direct delegation of citizens, residents or enterprises of the present-day Free Territory of Trieste. It acts on all levels, defending their rights from violations committed by other Countries and by their subordinate bodies.
Two years later (May 2017) the I.P.R. F.T.T. promotes the first legal action for determination regarding taxation (R.G. 1757/17) summoning before Court the Italian Government, its Ministry of Economy and Finances, its Tax Agencies, and the INPS (Italian National Social Security Institute), for establishing and collecting taxes in the name, on behalf, and in the budgets of the Italian State, instead of those of the present-day Free Territory of Trieste.
And in the following months, Free Trieste helped 500 citizens and enterprises to join the I.P.R. F.T.T.’s lawsuit.
The struggle of the citizens who seek to pay their own, fair taxes to their own State, the Free Territory of Trieste, is the most decisive action for Trieste’s rights. And it is also fundamental to grant legal certainty in the international Free Port of Trieste. A Port that can only exist as a State Corporation of the Free Territory of Trieste (art. 2, annex VIII of the 1947 Treaty of Peace) at service of all States (LINK).
“No taxation without representation” is a post I published in June 2015. In that article I commented an important moment of our struggle, the revolution of legality leading the first hundreds of citizens to exercise their right, seeking to pay Trieste’s own taxes. It was the early days of Free Trieste’s fiscal liberation campaign.
They were proclaiming the motto of the United States of America’s independence. And those citizens were not afraid, not even when they, the very people calling for the law, were falsely accused of tax fraud by the same authorities that were treading law itself (LINK).
They were not afraid, and did not give up. They are strong with their rights, the same rights that Free Trieste defends. Including denouncing those responsible of such unlawful claims: LINK.
Those citizens are holding their head high during the second, maybe last, hearing of the legal action on taxation of May 15th, 2018, before the Court of Trieste. And, until this date, many can still join them.
Those who stand for their rights until the very end are not subversive or tax frauds. Because not subversion or tax evaders. Because in Trieste the only ones avoiding the law are the Italian administering authorities.
Translated from blog “Ambiente e Legalità” – “Environment and Legality” by Roberto Giurastante