STRASBOURG: EU lawmakers on Tuesday narrowly rejected Hungary’s request to strip left-wing Italian lawmaker Ilaria Salis of her parliamentary immunity for alleged violence at a neo-Nazi rally in Budapest.
The European Parliament in Strasbourg backed the anti-fascist activist — who has become a high-profile foe of Hungary’s nationalist government — by 306 votes to 305 in a secret ballot.
“This vote is a victory for democracy, rule of law, and antifascism,” Salis said in a statement.
Salis, 41, was arrested with other activists in Budapest in February 2023 while taking part in a protest against an annual commemoration by neo-Nazis.
She was released from detention after more than a year, following her election to the EU parliament with a small leftist party in 2024.
Hungarian prosecutors requested an 11-year prison sentence and the case made international headlines when Salis appeared in a Budapest court with her feet shackled.
Salis has requested to be tried in Italy.
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Italian lawmaker wanted by Hungary clings to EU immunity
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Italian lawmaker wanted by Hungary clings to EU immunity
- The European Parliament in Strasbourg backed the anti-fascist activist by 306 votes to 305 in a secret ballot
- Salis was arrested with other activists in Budapest in February 2023
ICE agents to help with security at Winter Olympics
ROME: Agents from the divisive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will help support US security operations for the Winter Olympic Games in Italy next month, a spokesperson told AFP.
“At the Olympics, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations is supporting the US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations,” the agency said in a statement.
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