Italian prison guards' union Sappe
on Tuesday came out against the appointment of leftwing
journalist Adriano Sofri, who served 22 years in prison for
ordering the murder of a police commissioner, to the
government's panel of experts for prison reform.
Justice Minster Andrea Orlando named Sofri to the panel as
a consultant on instruction and culture, a fact that the union
said is "very serious and unacceptable".
The former head of autonomist movement Lotta Continua,
Sofri was convicted for the 1972 murder of commissioner Luigi
Calabresi in revenge for an anarchist falling out of a police
window to his death - a crime for which he has always declared
his innocence.
The president of prisoners' rights association Antigone,
Patrizio Gonnella, said the controversy over Sofri's appointment
is unwarranted.
"Sofri is an undisputed personality in Italian and European
culture. His contribution, also in light of the experience he
suffered, will enrich everyone, including prison personnel,"
Gonnella said.
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