On December 5, the second appeal hearing of the Scripta Manent trial against comrades Alfredo Cospito and Anna Beniamino was held. The general prosecutor asked for 27 years and one month for Anna and life imprisonment without parole with 12 months of daytime solitary confinement for Alfredo, going even further than prosecutor Sparagna’s previous requests, which were 30 years for Alfredo.

The Turin appeals court failed to pronounce the sentence and turned to the Constitutional Court: the Turin judges are asking whether it is legitimate to be forced to disallow mitigating circumstances for Alfredo Cospito because of his previous penal background. Indeed, this would force them to sentence Alfredo to life in prison, although for an action that caused neither deaths nor injuries.

Next December 19 there will be a new hearing in Turin, a formal hearing aimed at working out the question to submit to the Constitutional Court.

Alfredo and Anna intervened with spontaneous statements. Alfredo reiterated that he will continue his hunger strike until his last breath against 41 bis and life imprisonment without possibility of parole, Anna remarked that anyone with a modicum of critical thinking will know how to identify the principals and perpetrators of his comrade’s annihilation. The people in solidarity in the courtroom greeted the accused comrades with slogans and applause.

Shortly afterwards, a demonstration set off through the streets of Turin that, despite the massive deployment of repressive forces, managed to approach the city center, passing through some of the city’s neighborhoods.

Get Alfredo out of 41 bis.
To end 41 bis and life imprisonment without possibility of parole.
Free them all!