Ilaria Salis in chains at the trial in Budapest: house arrest denied

BUDAPEST – Ilaria Salis remains in cell: the Budapest court rejected the request to be placed under house arrest in Hungary presented by the lawyers of the thirty-nine year old who has been in prison for 13 months on charges of attacking two far-right exponents. “You are still dangerous,” says judge József Sòs. More: “There is – according to the magistrate – a constant level of danger because she has appeared in court four times in Italy.” And, again according to Sòs, she “is in danger of escaping”. “Thirteen months in prison – adds the judge – is not excessive”. And, according to the magistrates, the circumstances have not changed. “The seriousness of the indictment remains unchanged. At the moment the assessments must be made on the indictment. There will be cross-examination during the trial including the assessment of her dangerousness”, explains the judge.

“This is not a sentence – says Sòs – But at present, it is the decision to be made. There is still the danger that Salis will escape or that he will go into hiding. Therefore it is necessary that he remains in prison”.

It all happens just before kilometers away, in Milan, the judges of the Court of Appeal refuse to hand over Salis’ co-defendant to the Hungarian authorities, Gabriele Marchesiaccused of the same crimes, who is therefore free while awaiting trial.

In the courtroom again in chains

Salis was back in the courtroom in chains again. The trial opened amid tensions with a group of neo-Nazis who outside the court threatened the Salis family’s interpreter, the lawyer and the group of friends who had come to Hungary to support Ilaria. Among these, too Zero limestone.

In short, the script repeated itself. He has handcuffs on his wrists, shackles and chains on his ankles and a chain pulled by an officer like a leash exactly as happened in the hearing on January 29th. Salis then showed the letter she wrote and signed to authorize the use of the images. And in the courtroom you read her words to explain to the judges, but also to all of Italy and Europe (there is a large delegation of parliamentarians in the courtroom), that this is not just a trial of an Italian girl accused of street violence. But a message that the government Orban wants to send to all of Europe: Hungary uses a very hard fist against foreigners, mostly anti-fascists.

Ilaria Salis’s political letter from prison: “I fell into a very deep well, I wonder if I got out. But I have no doubts about which side of the story is right.”

by Viola Giannoli

25 March 2024

Tajani: “Politicizing the case doesn’t help”

A political case, “a political trial”, his father has been repeating for some time Roberto Salis, who left the courtroom as soon as the judge made his decision known and attacked the Italian government: “He didn’t make a good impression, he should examine his conscience.” The Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to SkyTg24 he instead says: “I hope that Mrs. Salis can be acquitted, I saw that today she was brought to court still in handcuffs, it’s not a good way, I don’t think there is any danger of escape. Having said this I would avoid politicizing otherwise there is a risk of conflict.” “I don’t care if they then want to nominate her – he added, referring to the idea circulating in the Democratic Party of proposing Salis to the European elections, as Repubblica wrote – but if the process has to be transformed into a conflict politician, this does not favor Mrs. Salis.”

Neo-Nazi threats

“Shut up or I’ll break your head”: this is what a group of a few right-wing extremists said to the group made up of Ilaria Salis’s lawyers and friends upon their arrival at the court in Budapest. “They were waiting for us and insulted and threatened us in Hungarian,” the lawyer said Eugenio Losco. “They filmed us with their cell phones, they filmed us and our translator told us that they were threatening us”, continued Losco. The group of about fifteen threatened Italian people also included Zero limestoneas well as representatives of democratic jurists.

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13 months in prison for protests against the maxi neo-Nazi rally

Ilaria Salis has been in prison for 13 months after having participated in some clashes last year during the Ceremony of Honour, the maxi neo-Nazi gathering that every year attracts Hitler nostalgics from all over Europe to Budapest. Ilaria is accused of attacking three far-right militants. But her criminal association is also accused: with her, the Hungarians write in the prosecution documents that Republic was able to consult, there were in fact also some Germans (including the head of an alleged organized group) under investigation for terrorism.

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Accused of organizing the shipment

Ilaria is therefore accused of being part of an association. However, there is no previous connection between her and the Germans. In her documents the Hungarians accuse her of having organized the expedition, so much so that she purchased tickets for the whole group. But this is not true: Salis purchased them only for the two boys who left with her from Italy.

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The request for release

In any case, the issue that concerned the Italian teacher today concerned her freedom. Her lawyers have asked for her release from prison, for her to be transferred to Italy or, alternatively, as had been suggested by the Government to her family, for her to be placed under house arrest in Hungary. In the courtroom Ilaria committed to respecting all the restrictions and she said that she too was ready to wear her electronic bracelet: she was her father, Roberto Salis, has already rented a house. But it wasn’t enough: the judge rejected the request. Salis was the only one who spoke today. Due to technical problems, judge Jozsef Sòs decided not to listen to one of the victims and the two witnesses scheduled for today. The next hearing has also been set for May 24th.

“A hellish life in prison”

“Let’s hope,” he said yesterday afternoon. “Ilaria is very tired but also very determined. Her life in prison is hellish, although there have been small improvements in recent months: she was finally allowed to have a hairdryer, she dried her hair with towels until today. And a little space in a refrigerator. But we hope that we no longer have to fight for this, that Ilaria can at least face the trial in a home. After everything that has happened and after how much they have exposed themselves, she would be embarrassing for the Italian institutions if she were denied house arrest tomorrow.”

The rule of law

Supporting her, as has been said, there will be a delegation of opposition parliamentarians, from the Democratic Party to the M5S, from Avs to Italia Viva, but no government representatives. “And it’s a shame” says Roberto Salis. “Because this is an issue of civil rights and the rule of law and as such it should be supported by everyone.”