FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
BUDAPEST – Ilaria Salis will remain in prison. Budapest court judge Jozsef Sos on Wednesday rejected the request for house arrest presented by the Italian teacher’s defense because he still considers her dangerous, the “serious charges” have remained unchanged and “thirteen months in prison is not exaggerated”.
The seriousness of the accusation, according to the judge, remains the yardstick for deciding the conditions of precautionary custody. The defendant’s non-dangerousness, argued Judge Sos, will only have to be assessed later in the trial. Also weighing is the fact that in the past, in Italy, Ilaria Salis has appeared in court on other occasions.
The decision to reject house arrest was “yet another show of strength by the Orban government”, said Roberto Salis, Ilaria’s father. «I expected it a little – he added – Ilaria is considered a great danger here. I don’t think that in Hungary there can be a different treatment from what we have seen and I think this is absolutely unacceptable for Italy. He will remain in prison who knows how much longer, can Italy accept this treatment? Absolutely not”.
Salis appeared still in chains, still with bodyguards covered by a balaclava and bulletproof vest, in room 97 of the Budapest court, for the second hearing of the trial against him for the attacks on some militants and Nazis which occurred in February 2023.
The next hearing has been set for May 24.
The 39-year-old Milanese teacher has been in prison for 13 months in Budapest on charges of attacking three far-right militants. In the Salis Chamber you also presented a written document in your hand authorizing the press to publish the images of you with handcuffs on your wrists. «I authorize the Italian press», reads the note, «to publish images that portray me with handcuffs and all the chains that they may decide to put on me during the hearing».
Tajani: «No to politicization». Schlein: «Inadmissible slap»
«Ilaria Salis will remain in prison in Budapest. After being once again brought to the courtroom with chains on her wrists, ankles and a leash, today the Hungarian judges also decided to deny her house arrest. An inadmissible slap to the rights of a detained person, of one of our compatriots. We expect Giorgia Meloni’s government to react immediately” declared PD secretary Elly Schlein.
«And nothing, Ilaria Salis is still on a leash», wrote the senator and head of Foreign Affairs of Italia viva, Ivan Scalfarotto, publishing the photo of the chain that binds Salis to the guard.
«I hope that Mrs. Salis can be acquitted, I saw that today she was brought to court still in handcuffs and chains but it seems that they then took them off. It’s not a good way, I don’t think there’s any danger of escape. Having said this, I would avoid politicizing the case otherwise there would be a risk of conflict” declared Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
«It is not acceptable that an Italian citizen is treated like this in Hungary. Giorgia Meloni must be truly a patriot and explain to Viktor Orban that either Hungary respects the rules of the rule of law or none of the Italian tax euros must end up in Budapest as happens today. The fact that Meloni has different ideas from Ilaria Salis is irrelevant: the Italian Government must work for Italian citizens. Do the Brothers of Italy or the subjects of Hungary govern us? IV leader Matteo Renzi wrote on X.
Article being updated…