The Appeals Council will begin deliberations over the request filed by Italian authorities for the extradition of five students, in relation to a demonstration against the EXPO 2015 in Milan that took place in May. Italian authorities have issued a European warrant for the arrest of five students over charges of “causing damages and aggravated resistance”, which entail a prison sentence of 8 to 15 years.
The attorneys of the Greek students claim that the allegations are “vague and insubstantial” and argue that the Italian authorities aim to criminalize participation in demonstrations. To support their claim they point out that the five Greek nations were not arrested during the protest, but the day after, as they were leaving a squat. As such, they underlined that the prosecution is politically motivated.
The parents of the students spoke about a “profound case” and argued that a potential extradition will cause major financial and physical harm. They also stated that the European arrest warrant, which has so far been used for serious crimes such as drugs and human trafficking, money laundering, is now being used to prosecute students and criminalize social struggles and movements on a pan-European level.
