Deputy Premier and Interior
Minister Matteo Salvini on Wednesday called on French President
Emmanuel Macron to take action to hand over Italian fugitives
living in France.
The government has said it is out to bring more terrorists to
justice after the recent return from South America of Cesare
Battisti, a former leftwing terrorist who is now serving a life
sentence for four murders after 37 years as a fugitive.
There are reportedly 14 fugitives accused of crimes from
Italy's 'years of lead' of political violence in the 1970s and
80s who have been tracked down to France.
The justice ministry said extradition requests had been sent
to France for all those fugitives, contradicting French Justice
Minister Nicole Belloubet who had said earlier in the day that
no such requests had yet been made.
"I have read that Battisti is complaining. Oh, the poor
killer," said League leader Salvini.
"He should have dignity and apologise to those whose family
members he took away.
"He should have the good taste to be silent. He should have
thought before he shot.
"We'll ask the French president to do what (Brazilian
President Jair) Bolsonaro did, and I thank him again.
"I'd like the French president and the French government to
show that same good sense... we await a signal of good will".
Earlier on Wednesday, French Justice Minister Nicole
Belloubet told France Inter that was it was "possible" that
there were 14 Italian terrorist fugitives in France.
But the minister added that no extradition requests had been
received "yet".
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