AMNESTY TERNATIONAL, REPORT 983 This report covers the period anuary to December 1982 Italy Aninesty International's main con- verm in 1982 was the delay in trying People acctyed of politically mott- vated crimes. This led to excessively Jong periods of Uetention tor defe fants: over three years in the ease known as7 April”, Other concerns. were the jimprisonment of conscie ious objectors regarded by Amnesty Lntemnational as prisoners of conscience, and allegations of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners, There was a marked increase in such allegations and these were the abject of wide judicial investigation, the Urgent Measures for the Protection of the Democratic Order and Public Security introduced in February 1980 (see Amnesty International Report 1980 and 1981), extending time limits in the Judicial process, remained in force although the government author. wed one additional assize court in Rome to reduce the backlog of Amnesty International was concerned by the undue delay inAMNESTY [NTERNATIONAL REPORT 1983 This report covers the period January to December 1982 263 svinging the “7 Aprit” defendants w crial (see Amnesty International Report 1482). Amnesty International sent an observer to the first searing of the case in Rome on 7 June. Some of the defence lawyers jected to the trial taking place in the Same court as the trial of those harged with the kidnapping and murder of the former Prime Minister, Aldo Moro. The hearing was, therelore, postponed until November. Amnesty Intemational again sent an observer. The trial was post- poned once more, until February 1983, this time because the President of the Court of Assizes declared that it should not proceed while the Moro” trial was still in progress. By the end of 1982 some defendants had been held for between 36 and 44 months awaiting trial, The majority of the defendants were academics, journalists and teachers who had allegedly been associated with a movement called {utonomia Operaia, Workers’ Autonomy, The best known was Antonio Negri, professor of political science at Padua University and ‘ecturer at the Sorbonne in Paris. The arrests took place alter the kid- napping and murder, between March and May 1978, of the former Prime Minister, Aldo Moro, by the Red Brigades, Most of those arres- ed in April and in the subsequent wave of arrests on 21 December 1979 had been involved some years earlier with an organization ailed Potere Operaio, Workers’ Power. This was a left-wing rouping in the late 1960s and early 1970s which advocated mass working-class revolt against the capitalist system and state. It was not 1 illegal or clandestine organization, There were, at the end of 1982, 40 peuple charged in connection with the “7 April” case under the jurisdiction of the courts of Rome and Padua, All defendants were ‘charged inter alia with “subversive association” and “participation ior formation of an armed band’. Some of the defendants were also charged with “insurrection against the powers of the State” and faced A mandatory life sentence if convicted. A number of these individual uases were under investigation by Amnesty International, Amnesty International consistently criticized the length of time a person might spend in prison in Italy under the law, while legal proceedings continued. With the extended time limits granted by the urgent measures of February 1980 this could mean, in the most rious eases, a period of 10 years and eight months before a final erdict The problem of the delay in hearing eases and the possibility of leasing prisoners into provisional liberty, if not tried withia the time mits, was addressed by the Procurator General of the Court of assation. {n his report of the past judicial year he Ueserihed the estab. 'shient of one additional assize court in Rome to cut the backlog as ‘totally inadequate and insutficient measure which will have no. weet”,AMNESTY NTERNATIONAL REPORT 1983 This report covers the period January to December 1982 2h The prisoners of conscience known to Amnesty International sere conscientious objectors to military service. The reform of the 2868 on conscientious ubjeetors eontinued with proposals for a new Jaw fo replace the existing Marcora Law on conseientinus objection (see Amnesty International Report 1982), The dratt bill presented by the Minister of Detence, Lelio Lagorio, recognized that the existing law had “disadvantages and defects making a revision of it indispen- sable”. [twas awaiting examination before the Defence Commission >f the Senate. On 24 December Amnesty Intemational wrote to the Minister welcoming the new drat bill and in particular the proposal to reduce the length of alternative service from 20 to 16 months However. the organization was concerned that the bill appeared to ‘nake no provisinn tor recoenizing political grounds for conscientious objection and no allowance for volunteers for military service who sub- sequently changed their views and became conscientious objectors. It also appeared that the responsible authorities were not obliged to explain their reasons for rejecting x request for alternative civilian Sporadic allegations of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading {reatment had been received and investigated by Ammesty International inprevious years. However, 1982 saw a sharp increase in the number ‘of allegations, in particular with relation to arrests made at the time of the kidnapping of the NATO Chief of Staff, Brigadier General James Lee Dozier. and after his release on 28 January 1982. Amnesty International received information on approximately 30 cases, some ol which were supported by medical reports. On 16 March Amnesty International wrote to the Minister of the Interior. Virginio Rognoni. to express its concern at the number aad ‘cope of recent allegations. It requested the Minister to review the police procedures followed in cases in which allegations of ill-treat. ment had been made publicly. Some of these allegations were already being investigated following earlier formal complaints, However, new illegations continued to be made. Amnesty International in its letter telerred specifically to the testimony of Anna Rita Marino who was terested in Rome on 2 March. She stated that atter her arrest she was “tripped naked. slapped in the face and beaten on her head, stomach ind legs. Her nipples were twisted with an unidentified instrument. A ‘medical examination on 1 March inthe women's section of Rebibbia prison referred to skin contusions and bruises on her right and left breasts and thighs. The allegations of ill-treatment made in coust in Verona on 8 March by Cesare di Lenardo were also mentioned. Di Lenardo alleged that not only he, but also his co-detendants, had been \ibtreated, The investigating judge issued arrest warrants in June vaainst five polive officers alter a four-month investigation, The205 Minister uf the Interior publicly eriticizetl this as aiving “rise «@ much perplexity and brtteress”, Phe police oflicers were finally released ind reintegrated into their Fores after transfer, However the Deputy Prosecutor of Padua subsequently recommended that they should be smted.