Ustica: France ready to cooperate; public prosecutor set to withdraw the case
In recent days, the French Embassy sent a note to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announcing its willingness to transfer to Italia all documentation relating to the massacre
A breakthrough in Paris regarding the Ustica massacre. According to reports, the French embassy has in recent days sent a note to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announcing its willingness to transfer to Italy all documentation relating to the Ustica massacre. This also includes documents from the French Ministry of Defence which may relate to past letters rogatory issued by the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office. Furthermore, the French authorities have indicated their willingness to comply with any further requests from Italia regarding the case. The material covers a long period extending into the 1990s.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, via the Prime Minister’s Office, forwarded the case file to the Ministry of Justice, which, in turn, sent it to the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office. In light of this development, the prosecutors are reportedly prepared, at the hearing on 30 September before the investigating judge, to withdraw their request to have the case dismissed regarding the massacre that claimed the lives of 81 people in 1980.
Ustica, Bonfietti: the government has taken action and the results are evident
“We had asked for the case not to be closed, and that is now happening – it will be suspended. It is a great achievement. I have always said that if the judiciary cannot succeed, only politics can. As soon as the government took action, results became apparent. We will now try to ascertain what documentation is forthcoming.” This is what Daria Bonfietti, president of the association of relatives of the Ustica victims, said in relation to France’s willingness to cooperate. “We are delighted to learn that the request we made to the Prime Minister in mid-June to approach Macron has yielded significant results,” said the president.
