Articles by: F. G.

  • Arte e Cultura

    Imparare ad Imparare. Comunicazione responsabile con Fabrica Floridi

    In rete dal 12 aprile un web show innovativo, condotto dal filosofo Luciano Floridi, e una pagina social di www.dearete.org, piattaforma della comunicazione responsabile.

    La prima puntata affronta il tema Imparare ad Imparare: orientamento, formazione, competenze

    Fabrica Floridi è un web show, condotto dal filosofo Luciano Floridi, e una pagina social di www.dearete.org. E’ un progetto realizzato in collaborazione con il corso di laurea magistrale in giornalismo, con il master in comunicazione digitale dell’Università Parma e con studenti e laureati delle redazioni tematiche in dieci città del magazine tv&web Siamo Jedi edito con BFC Forbes. 

    Potrete seguire lezioni, interventi del filosofo e dei suoi ospiti che raccontano e ragionano sul  cambiamento partendo dal digitale per la sostenibilità.

    E’ un progetto innovativo dal Teatro Punto Zero Beccaria dell’istituto penale minorile Beccaria di Milano, organizzato da Nuvolaverde con www.dearete.org (studenti della scuola di giornalismo e master in comunicazione dell’Università di Parma) e gli jedi di Nuvolaverde provenienti da 10 città d’Italia e protagonisti del programma Siamo Jedi, edito con il canale televisivo BFC Forbes.

    La prima puntata ha come tema  Imparare ad Imparare: orientamento, formazione, competenze e ospita Corrado Passera (fondatore e Ceo di Illimity)  e è disponibile dal 12 aprile su www.dearete.org. 

    Oltre alle domande dei giovani troverete  gli interventi di:

    Enrico Giovannini, Ministro infrastrutture e mobilità sostenibili  sul Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR) nell’ambito del Next Generation EU 

    Vanessa Zema, giovane scienziata del Gran Sasso Science Institute e Max Planck Institute for Physics di Amburgo su nuovi modelli di orientamento nelle strutture accademiche

    Letizia Airos da New York, direttrice i–Italy, network multimediale americano dedicato all’Italia, sottolinea l’importanza di puntare sul soft power italiano nel mondo

    Fuori campo, a scandire tempi e modi della narrazione, il direttore di dearete.org e presidente di Nuvolaverde Enzo Argante. In redazione ci saranno gli studenti del corso di laurea magistrale in giornalismo e del master in comunicazione digitale dell’Università di Parma (Lisa Bencivenga, Flavia Cellerino, Ludovica Sarais e Roberta Corso, Micol Maccario) e gli Jedi di Nuvolaverde. La regia è di Giuseppe Scutellà (Teatro PuntoZero Beccaria) con i ragazzi del carcere minorile Beccaria di Milano.

     

  • Events: Reports

    Arts & Tannery Comes Back: Discover Tomorrow’s Trends in Leather Goods

    Once again Arts & Tannery comes from Italy to New York City to present the latest trends in leathers and accessories. Organized by the Italian Leather System Consortium in partnership with the Italian Trade Commission, the event will take place at the Midtown Loft and Terrace on September 5th and 6th.

    The exhibitors at Arts & Tannery, all members of the Italian Leather System Consortium, will present their Fall/Winter collections for 2013/2014 specifically selected for the American market. The visitors will have the chance to view sample materials and products and will be invited to attend a trend presentation curated by ILSC that will offer a preview of the colors, motives, textures and themes inspiring next season’s fashion. 

    The visitors will also have the opportunity to meet the manufacturers and network with them and with the other fashion business operators that will attend the event. 
     

    The 13 Italian exhibitors participating in this edition of the exhibit are: Agile, Ascot, Ausonia Conceria, Bo-Pell Conceria, Conceria di Urgnano-ILCEA, Conceria Pellegrini Group, Copar Conceria, Gemini, MB3 Conceria, Sanlorenzo, Ta–Bru, Tuscania Industria Conciaria, Vesta Corporation.

    Italian leather and components are more popular than ever in America: Italy confirmed itself the primary supplier of leathers to the US, with a market share of 22.85% in the first semester of 2012.

    Italian Trade Commissioner Aniello Musella is excited with the leather sector’s recovery: “Made in Italy assures high quality and design. Tradition, workmanship and great experience make Italian leather different from any other worldwide. Italy is one of the leading countries in the industry, and the Italian Leather System Consortium always features the very best of Italian leathers and components.”
     

    Aldo Donati, President of the Italian Leather System Consortium, is also excited about the upcoming edition of Arts and Tannery, which he defines “a rendezvous not to be missed.”Donati adds: “Arts and Tannery greatly celebrates the quality of the leatherworking tradition and it represents a special occasion to strengthen the relationship between the American designers and the Italian market.”

    To attend the Arts & Tannery Fall/Winter 2013/2014 trend presentation, guests must be registered for the show.  Please register online at www.artsandtannery.com

  • Art & Culture

    Veneto: 800 Plastic Dolls Against Women Trafficking

    The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s 2009 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons shows that the most common form of human trafficking is sexual exploitation, which accounts for 79% of the phenomenon. The victims of sexual exploitation are predominantly women and girls. 

    On the occasion of the 32nd edition of the Operaestate Festival in the Vicenza province of Italy, a provocative art installation will try to raise awareness on the issue of human trafficking.

    On August 25th in Bassano del Grappa, artists Anna Piratti and Silvia Gribaudi will invite the public to take action against sexual exploitation by scattering 800 naked dolls in Piazza della Libertà. 

    The installation, titled “TOYS? Move On!,” is inspired by the 4th article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which goes: “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.”

    The 800 naked dolls, only dressed of a tag with a bar code on it, symbolize in the intention of the artists the women and girls in the world whom are sold and traded as goods, transported from one country to the other like inanimate objects, deprived of their own will.
     

    “We want to express the frailty of the victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. So many women and girls in the world are treated just like toys,” explained Anna Piratti to Vicenza Today.

    The installation will invite the passersby to pick up a doll and take it to another area of the square where containers will hold rags, cloths, pieces of fabric and strings for the audience to fabricate a makeshift dress for it. “We will invite the audience to take care of the dolls, dressing them up to restore their dignity,” Piratti added. 

    Once clothed, the dolls will then have to be returned, but the artists take it into account that some people might actually want to take the dolls away with them at the end of the performance: “We expect that to happen, it will not be a problem,” Piratti concludes.

  • Facts & Stories

    Pranzo di Ferragosto at Home: How Italy Revisits Traditions in Times of Economic Crisis

    Even when the weather in Italy was gorgeous today, unlike here in New York City, the majority of Italians decided to celebrate Ferragosto at home, a poll reveals.

    According to a survey carried out by the Italian National Farmers Association (Coldiretti), one in four Italians (27%) celebrated the Festa dell’Assunta with family and friends, skipping the traditional fish lunch in restaurants on the coast. 24% went for a picnic with home-made foods, while 9% went for a to-go lunch in a touristic destination they visited.

    Only 7% chose to eat at a restaurant, while agritourisms around the country have been the choice of over 250,000 visitors.

    The traditional “Pranzo di Ferragosto” is changing under the influence of the economic crisis that ails Italy, but the choices of those Italians that decided to eat out notwithstanding the economic troubles are also changing.

    The Italian Association for Animal Defense (AIDA&A) has in fact  released a study made possible with the collaboration of 63 restaurants across Italy, which show that the orders for meat-free dishes increased to 12% this year. A staple of the Ferragosto lunch together with fish dishes, grilled meat was ordered by only 36% of the restaurants’ guests.

    Restaurant owners believe that this trend has to do with vegetarian diets’ popularity among Italians, but also with the extremely high temperatures that characterized the month of August, that had customers opting for lighter dishes rich in fruit and vegetables.

    Chicken with peppers, another very popular entrée for the Ferragosto lunch in Rome, is high in protein and low in fat and represents a healthy alternative to grilled red meat.

    Nutritionists however invite users to be cautious with portions: Giacinto Miggiano, Director of the Nutrition Center at the Cattolica University in Rome, states that Italians tend to gain at least one pound from the “mega-pranzo” of August 15.

    “The caloric intake can reach 2500 calories, which equals to a weight gain of roughly one pound,” Miggiano states. “Ferragostan dishes tend to be very salty and seasoned, causing water retention,” he adds.

    To fight the post-food extravaganza drowsiness, nutritionist Amleto D’Amicis from the Italian National Institute for Research and Nutrition (INRAN) encourages the consumption of pineapple at the end of the meal. Rich in Bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme that helps the digestion of proteins, pineapple can also help fighting water retention and swelling.

  • Events: Reports

    Made in Italy Menswear Rocks Spring/Summer 2012 MRKET Show

    MRKET New York, the most important trade show for the menswear industry on the East Coast, just wrapped up at the Jacob Javits Center on July 24, where it started on July 22.

     The show presented the most interesting developments in what is trending in today’s menswear, characterized by classic and sartorial dressing, which are very much in line with the fashion offer the Italian brands brought to the fair.

    With 36 exhibitors representing 40 brands, Italy’s presence at MRKET was very much appreciated. The Italian firms were brought together by the Italian Trade Commission’s initiative “Made in Italy,” which groups all the Italian exhibitors in a dedicated aisle of the trade show, specifically signaled to attract the fair’s visitors’ attention and draw it not just to specific products or brands but more generally to the appreciation of Italian products altogether. 

    3,000 menswear industry operators from the US, Canada and Central America visited the show, showcasing the Spring/Summer collections of the best menswear brands worldwide.

    The Italian Trade Commission’s studies of the US Department of Commerce’s statistics show that in the period January-May 2012 Italy ranked 12th among the menswear and accessories suppliers of the United States, with positive trends in all the individual markets of the industry. 

    The individual markets analyses show that Italian knitwear is the most appreciated product by US importers. It generated a total cash flow of $47.7 million and grew +3.39%. Suits are a close second, with a total cash flow of $41.8 million and a growth of +4.56%. 

    Italian Trade Commissioner Aniello Musella tells i-Italy that “the strength of Italian menswear keeps on being the excellent price-quality ratio, together with the sophisticated balance of craftsmanship, tradition, creativity and innovation.”
    “These elements of the ‘Made in Italy’ brand make it still very appealing for the American buyers,” even during times of recession, Musella adds.

    MRKET is a very exclusive show and it represents a very important showcase for the Italian brands, many of which will also participate in the West Coast edition of the fair that will take place in Las Vegas from August 21 to August 23.

    The New York show featured a curated section by fashion guru Michael Macko, called “Vanguards,” presenting 13 new and emerging brands and their collections. MRKET is also a very important networking platform for the fashion community, and it also featured a bloggers’ reserved area for the opinion leaders of 2.0 trends to report on what was interesting at the show in real time.

    Among the Italian exhibitors, i-Italy spoke with Gianmarco Taccaliti, representing the family business, the shirt factory Giovanni Taccaliti based in the Ancona province. “The Italian aisle of the fair is always the most crowded, Made in Italy is really appreciated in New York and the support of the Italian Trade Commission for small and medium enterprises is very important. They are doing a great job promoting us.”

    Why is Made in Italy so popular among the American buyers? “Because of our research on materials,” Taccaliti explains, “and the fact that the businesses are family managed, and have a tradition and a long history of production. We started producing shirts in 1911, our history alone gives us a strong competitive advantage.” 

    Whereas Giovanni Taccaliti participated in the last three editions of MRKET, Camplin debuted at the trade show during this past edition.

    Camplin used to be a British brand of peacoats and naval tailoring that supplied uniforms to the Royal Navy during the Colonial age. Founded in 1850, it was bought in 2007 by Italian entrepreneur Matteo Bressan, based in Verona, who since then has been producing the Royal Navy coats with 100% Italian wool from Tuscany.

    “There’s great interest in our product, in both the sportswear sector and in the formal menswear sector. It has a long history and tradition while it is produced with new materials and has a contemporary fit that the younger customers appreciate,” Bressan tells i-Italy.

    Bressan believes that participating in the MRKET trade show was beneficial for his business: “It has been a very positive experience, and it was very well organized by the Italian Trade Commission that made out participation possible.” 

  • Facts & Stories

    Italy's Flag Colors to Illuminate the Empire State Building's South Façade

    From June 26 to August 12 the Empire State Building will honor nations participating in the London Olympic Games by illuminating its iconic tower lights in the colors of the competing countries’ flags. 

    The world-famous landmark building will light up its four sides (north, south, east and west) in the colors of the different competing countries each night until the end of the games in London, starting tonight.

    Tomorrow night, July 28, the south side of the building will be illuminated with the colors of the Italian flag, celebrating Italy’s participation in the Olympics.

    Every second Monday of October the whole top of Empire State Building is lit up in red, white and green to honor Italy on the occasion of the Columbus Day celebrations.
     

    Anthony E. Malkin, President of Malking Properties which owns the Empire State Building, declared: “We are proud to shine our iconic tower lights to celebrate the countries competing in London.”
     

    It is the second time in the history of New York’s most visited skyscraper that the façade is divided in four different lighting schemes to celebrate different nations at the same time, the first time being on the occasion of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

    The full schedule of the lighting is available on the ESB’s website.

  • Events: Reports

    Italian Textiles: Creativity and Tradition Enchant Premiére Vision NY

    The textile trends of tomorrow were just unveiled at the 25th edition of Premiére Vision Preview New York, that took place on July 11 and 12 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in the fashionable neighborhood of Chelsea. 

    Premiére Vision Preview New York is the most important trade show for textile and accessories on the East Coast. Twice a year it presents American corporate buyers with the still unreleased collections of the world’s best textile suppliers. 
     

    The show was visited on its opening day by Italian Trade Commissioner Aniello Musella, who accompanied Consul General of Italy to New York Natalia Quintavalle to meet the 30 Italian exhibitors that could participate in the event thanks to the Italian Trade Commission’s support. 

    Italy was the most represented nation at Premiére Vision, with exhibitors from all the key productive districts of the Italian textile sector, mainly located in the areas of Biella, Como and Prato.
     

    Jacques Brunel, General Manager of Premiére Vision Preview, told i-Italy that the participation of Italian exhibitors at the show dates way back in time, and so does the relationship between Premiére Vision and the Italian Trade Commission: “Italy and Premiére Vision are a family. We have been collaborating with the Italian Trade Commission for over 30 years, and we always feature Italian exhibitors in the show.”

    “The Italian presence in this textile trade show is traditionally very much appreciated,” Aniello Musella told i-Italy. 

    This appreciation is reflected in the Italian Trade Commission’s studies of the US Department of Commerce’s statistics, which show that in the period January-April 2012 Italy ranked 6th among the clothing fabric suppliers of the United States, with positive trends in all the individual markets of the clothing industry except for cotton. 

    The individual markets analyses for the first four months of 2012 show that Italy is the US’ leading supplier of wool, whose market generated $14.62 million and grew +36.37%.

    Italian silk generated a total cash flow of $8.75 million and grew +1.27%. Italy is also rapidly ascending the chart of the US’ performance and technical fabrics supplying countries, registering a +10.19% increment from last year’s values. 

    Musella highlighted the fact that these statistics are actually not exactly descriptive: “many orders of Italian fabrics that are bought by American clients are then sent to be manufactured in other countries where their production plants are located. The value of these orders is not computed in the statistics, that therefore present much inferior figures than the actual ones.”

    Elaborating on the superior quality of Italian textiles, Musella said that “behind the textile product there is a great investment in technical research and product innovation. I’d say that the element of research and of technical innovation of the Italian textiles became just as primary as the creative element.”

    All the Italian exhibitors interviewed by i-Italy, in fact, acknowledged the importance of combining the traditional, artisanal methods with product innovation and research. 

    Paolo Calabresi from Lanificio Nova Fides is a wool manufacturer from the Prato district.  On this subject, he told i-Italy that their production process relies on “a combination of the two aspects, either as far as taste and color and expertise are concerned and as far as the production is concerned. When we compare our dimensions to the ones of our clients we are actually very tiny and wool still has a lot to do with craftsmanship, but it is important for us to be able to produce a standardized product that is suitable for big companies. There’s a very industrial process behind our products.”
     

    The most innovative side of the Italian textile production was represented by “New Life,” a project that makes it possible to obtain recycled polyester from the transparent plastic bottles collected in the Cuneo province and mechanically processed to produce fabric. “The product combines all the technical and technological knowledge with a strong sustainability spirit. Whether we produce a sock, a t-shirt, an evening gown by Valentino or Armani, we will always save 90% of the water, 60% energy and around 32% CO₂ without sacrificing anything,” explained representative Giusy Bettoni.

    Even as far as niche products such as lace are concerned, Italy’s balanced ratio among tradition and innovation accounts for significant market results.

    Corrado Pedroni, representing Pizval, told i-Italy that the Italian interpretation of lace is modern, whereas the product is considered ancient: “Clients appreciate our style, a more diurnal style compared to the classic French lace, which is more traditional and suitable for the evening.”

    Interviewed by i-Italy, Consul General Quintavalle stated that: “These are marvelous textiles, and you can also get a general idea of what will be trending in the Fall and Winter of 2013 as far as fabrics are concerned.”

    An important trend the Consul pointed out is the one of a “generational turnover” among the exhibitors, accounting for much of the innovation that came to characterize contemporary Italian textiles: ”Many of the firms were started by Italians of the previous generation that passed the steering wheel to their sons, who chose the path of tradition but opened the field to beautiful and useful innovations, with great results.”

    Alberto Pozzi, son of silk producer Carlo Pozzi, exhibiting the family company’s clothing and tie lines at Premiére Vision, tells i-Italy that his wish is to be able to give continuity to the business and to keep investing in innovation. “With the help of my brother I’m sure we will grow stronger.”

  • Dining in & out: Articles & Reviews

    A Taste of Umbria: The Wines From Orvieto

    On July 12, the Italian Trade Commission hosted a wine tasting of fine Orvieto wines from Umbria, to entice the curiosity of the food, wine and travel industry operators in what the region located in the heart of Italy has to offer to their trade and clients.

    The selected winery for the occasion was Le Velette, an historical winery that has been producing wines for 7 generations. Situated on the hill overlooking the city of Orvieto, Le Velette vineyards benefit from a very favorable exposure and from the volcanic mineral soil. 

    Le Velette produces traditional white wines, in both the Orvieto and Orvieto Superiore varieties, as well as some traditional Orvieto red wines and new varieties such as Merlot, Grechetto and Sauvignon.  
     

    Corrado Bottai, owner of Le Velette, is pleased to have the chance to step foot in the American market thanks to the support of the Italian Trade Commission: “It’s a great way to start,” he tells i-Italy. 
     

    “We want the American clients to get more directly acquainted with our production philosophy that is so deeply influenced by our history,” Bottai adds. “We are respectful of our tradition and we put great attention in research and development, in innovation. We have been making wine for 150 years with great passion.”
     

    Le Velette wines are imported by AgriLand, an Italian-American import-export company that just opened their USA branch last weekend, inaugurating their Bronx location at 2347 Lafayette Avenue. With Agriland, Le Velette launched a new label specifically tailored for the North American market, the “Contessa Adele” label.

    Giacomo Maggiaro, corporate partner at AgriLand, explains to i-Italy that “Adele is the name of Corrado’s great-grandmother, suggesting the strong tradition Le Velette embodies. They are an historical winery, they are very competent and organized and this is what motivated us to collaborate with them and help them enter the US market.”

    But Umbria is a secret still too well kept among Italians, “especially as far as some of its specialties are concerned, such as wines,” the Director of the Italian Trade Commission Aniello Musella tells i-Italy. “For example, Umbria is still not as established in the wine segment as Piedmont and Tuscany are, and given its great potential there’s much room for improvement.” 

    That’s where organizations such as AgriLand have a strategic function, “bringing quality products to the US market and curating the packaging and marketing aspects so that their appeal to the US customers is maximized,” Musella comments.

    In order to promote not only the wines from Umbria but a more comprehensive knowledge on what the region itself has to offer, AgriLand started an important partnership with Shop Wine and Dine, a tour operator specialized in oenogastronomic trips to Italy. 

    Anna Maria Sorrentino, president of Shop Wine and Dine, is very satisfied with the collaboration: “It has been very successful so far, we tailored these three-nights itineraries for the AgriLand clients that buy wines from Umbria and we believe they will be an incentive to the sales.”

    At the wine tasting event, Shop Wine and Dine promoted a special itinerary to discover Orvieto during the Christmas Holidays: “In that time of the year the city hosts the Umbria Jazz Festival, it’s really a magical time,” Sorrentino adds.

  • Events: Reports

    Italian Textiles to Lead the 25th Edition of Premiere Vision Preview New York

    On July 11 and 12 the 25th edition of Premiere Vision Preview New York, the most important trade expo for textiles and accessories, will take place at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea.

    Premiere Vision is a biannual show held in January in New York and February in Paris, that presents an exclusive preview of tomorrow’s fashion trends by bringing to the corporate buyers the still unfinished collections of the world’s top-notch textiles suppliers.
    This edition of the show anticipates the collections that will be soon presented at the Milano Unica fair in Italy.

    Italy will be the most represented nation at Premiere Vision, where 30 firms from Piedmont, Lombardy and Tuscany will be participating. According to an estimate by the organizers, the expected number of visitors at Premiere Vision will be 3,000.

    The Italian Trade Commission’s studies of the US Department of Commerce’s statistics show that in the period January-April 2012 Italy ranked 6th among the clothing fabric suppliers of the United States, with positive trends in all the individual markets of the clothing industry except for cotton. 

    The individual markets analyses for the first four months of 2012 show that Italy is the US’ leading supplier of wool, whose market generated $14.62 million and grew +36.37%.

    Italian silk generated a total cash flow of $8.75 million and grew +1.27%. Italy is also rapidly ascending the chart of the US’ performance and technical fabrics supplying countries, registering a +10.19% increment from last year’s values.

    Italian Trade Commissioner Aniello Musella highlights that “many orders of Italian fabrics that are bought by American clients are then sent to be manufactured in other countries where their production plants are located. The value of these orders is not computed in the statistics, that therefore present much inferior figures than the actual ones.”

    Musella believes that the competitive advantage of Italian textile products is still the rich offer of novelties, combined with high quality standards and with the strength of Made in Italy as a brand itself.

    The Italian participating firms are the following:
    BOTTONIFICIO B.A.P., CARLO POZZI E C., DUCA VISCONTI DI MODRONE, FANTASIE TRICOT, FRIZZA, FURPILE MAGLIA , GRUPPO GF, GRUPPO MODA, L'AMORE TESSUTO, LANIFICIO CAMPORE BROGLIA QUINTINO, LANIFICIO F.LLI BACCI, LANIFICIO NOVA FIDES, LANIFICIO SUBALPINO, LANIFICIO TOP WOOL, LIMONTA, MANIFATTURA DI BREME DI VICTORIA , MARCO LAGATTOLLA, MARIO CUCCHETTI TESSUTI, MIROGLIO TEXTILE, NEWLIFE by FILATURA DI SALUZZO, OLMETEX, PICCHI, PIZVAL, RICAMIFICIO GIMAR, SETERIE ARGENTI, SIMONA B. COLLECTION'S, SMI TESSUTI, SUCCESSORI REDA, TPB BARZAGHI, TRABALDO TOGNA.

  • Facts & Stories

    The Diaz Case is Closed: 25 Officers Condemned, None Will Be Jailed

    The final sentence on the Diaz case was issued yesterday by Italy’s Court of Cassation. The case refers to the late-night police raid in the Armando Diaz High School in Genoa during the G8 Summit in 2001, where 82 no-global activists were hurt and 63 were left in need of hospital treatment. 25 policemen and senior officers were found guilty.
     

    The raid of the Armando Diaz High School, which constituted a shelter for anti-globalization protesters during the days of the G8, was justified by the police by saying that weapons were found at the school and that the protesters had previously attacked police officers earlier that day, July 21, 2001.
     

    Among the condemned, senior officers Francesco Gratteri, Giovanni Luperi, Giberto Caldarozzi and Vincenzo Canterini, were accused of signing false reports covering up the police’s beating.
     

    Later investigations in fact proved that the protesters, many of whom from Britain, Poland and Ireland, had not used violence against the policemen, who tried to incriminate them by staging a knife attack and planting two Molotov cocktails at the school.
     

    Gratteri, now in charge of the national criminal investigation unit of the Polizia, was condemned to 4 years, as well as Luperi, currently the chief of the Analysis Department at AISI, Italy’s domestic intelligence agency. Canterini, former manager of the Mobile Police Squad in Rome, was condemned to 5 years. Caldarozzi, chief of the Central Operative Service (SCO). All of the above convicted, holding executive positions in the Italian Police, will be banned from service for 5 years.
     

    Among the other condemned officers are the members of the Mobile Squad Filippo Ferri, Massimiliano Di Bernardini, Fabio Ciccimarra, Nando Dominici, Spartaco Mortola, Carlo Di Sarro, Massimo Mazzoni, Renzo Cerchi, Davide Di Novi, Salvatore Gava and Pietro Troiani. They were all sentenced to 3 years and 8 months.
     

    Even if this sentence puts an end to a legal controversy that lasted for 11 years, the Italian statute of limitations decrees that the guilty officers won’t be imprisoned, as too much time passed since when the crimes were committed.
     

    Particularly shocking is the fact that the offences committed by the officers from the VII Nucleo Speciale Mobile, the Polizia squad responsible for the assault charged with aggravated lesions, were status-barred. The agents belonging to this number are Fabrizio Basili, Ciro Tucci, Carlo Lucaroli, Emiliano Zaccaria, Angelo Cenni, Fabrizio Ledoti, Pietro Stranieri, Vincenzo Compagnone.
     

    The total number of officers involved in the Diaz operation was 300.

    Nevertheless, the reactions to the sentence by the activists’ lawyers, as reported by the Italian press, have been positive. Lawyer Emanuele Tambuscio told Il Corriere della Sera that “Justice was made. It took 11 years to reach this verdict but such a severe conviction for top-rank public officers is something unprecedented in Western democracies.”
     

    Lawyer Francesco Romeo noted that “The chain of command was condemned and that is a very important result, but the Diaz case will forever be a dark chapter in the life of the Italian democracy and the fact that the Italian Parliament didn’t form a board of enquiry to establish the political responsibilities of the event is shameful.”
     

    The victims of the assaults will now be able to obtain their indemnifications, and the Italian Ministry of Interior can now open disciplinary cases against the 25 convicted, notwithstanding the status-barring of the crimes.
     

    A voice of dissent on the fairness of the sentence is the one of British activist Mark Covell, who had eight broken ribs and a shredded lung during the police beating and was left in a coma. Covell told the Guardian that the verdict is “legal history,” for which he is “overjoyed,” but he added: “they did try to kill me and none are going to jail, so is this justice?"

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