An Italian activist, sentenced to 13 years in prison in Italy and wanted since the G8 of Genoa in 2001 was arrested Thursday in Brittany and incarcerated, revealed Saturday to AFP the public prosecutor's office of Rennes.
After 18 years on the run, this Italian, answering the name of "Vecchi" was "arrested Thursday, August 8 in Morbihan by the national brigade research fugitives on the basis of two European arrest warrants issued by the prosecutors of Milan and Genoa, "said the general prosecutor of the Prosecutor General of Rennes Pascal Bougy. Arrest warrants had been issued "following criminal convictions handed down by the courts of these cities," he said.
Two convictions in Italy
The attorney general confirmed to AFP that the arrest of this wanted man since 2001, is linked to two convictions in Italy, themselves related to his participation in the G8 Genoa in July 2001 where a protester had found the death. "He was referred Friday 9 (August) to the Court of Appeal of Rennes where the magistrate delegated by the first president incarcerated him" in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure pending his appearance before the Chamber of instruction (Wednesday) August 14 at 9 am, "he added without further details.
A support group called "Support Vincenzo" confirmed in the evening in a statement that the arrested Italian is Vincenzo Vecchi, a man in his forties, known locally and who lived for several years in a town close to Rochefort-en-Terre where this collective of inhabitants was created. According to the group, Vincenzo Vecchi was incarcerated at the Vézin-le-Coquet prison near Rennes. "He was not a member of any political organization" and "chose to flee this unjust and disproportionate sentence." He has lived for 8 years on our territory (Questembert Country) and has become fully integrated into local life. " affirmed the collective.
"We hold together an associative bar," adds Jean-Pierre, one of Vincenzo Vecchi's friends, at the microphone of Europe 1. "He was involved, a volunteer to organize things, and for us, he is a painter and a painter. appreciated by all. " Along with the other members of the support group, Jean-Pierre intends to oppose "that the French state delivers 'Vincenzo' to the Italian authorities, who will not miss the opportunity to make an example".
Collective support
According to the group, Vincenzo Vecchi was sentenced in Italy for "devastation and looting" at the G8 Genoa, the justice also blaming him for his participation in an anti-fascist demonstration, unauthorized, in Milan in March 2006. "Given the current context in Italy, this case appears to us eminently political and urgent, "adds the group that intends" to mobilize against an ongoing extradition procedure "and considers" unacceptable that our government, claiming to be the European defender of humanism and Human Rights, condones this political discrimination ".
"There is an emotion here that is very strong," said Jean-Pierre a spokesman for the collective, joined by AFP. He said that about fifty people "very touched by the arrest of Vincenzo" met Saturday evening in a community cafe to "discuss ways to act and help in a way or another Vincenzo ".