The Guardian : Briton to sue Genoa police over 'torture and kidnap' Monday July 30, 2001 by Paul Kelso

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,529537,00.html


One of the five Britons allegedly beaten and detained by police during the G8 summit in Genoa last week is to sue the Italian authorities.
Norman Blair, 38, was one of a number of people reportedly injured and imprisoned by Italian police after a raid on a school that protesters from the Genoa Social Forum had converted into their headquarters.

Mr Blair claims he was "tortured and kidnapped by the Italian state", and said last night that other protesters were likely to take legal action.

The Britons were injured when scores of carabinieri stormed the school last weekend, breaking down the gates with an armoured car and allegedly lashing out indiscriminately at protesters.

The demonstrators were then taken to the Bolzaneto detention centre, which Mr Blair described as "the sort of place where you know terrible things happen".

The Britons were among 90 people seized in the raid, and were detained for five days. They had no access to British consular staff before they were freed without charge and deported. Despite not having been convicted of any offence they were banned from Italy for five years and had to pay their own air fares home.

"I have contacted lawyers in Italy and I'm going to be taking legal action against the police in Italy, as is everyone else who was arrested in that school that I have talked to," Mr Blair said yesterday.

The Foreign Office yesterday moved to deny claims that consular staff in Italy had made no attempt to contact Mr Blair and the other Britons.

A spokesman said that Italian law requires foreign nationals be seen by a magistrate within 48 hours of being detained and access must be granted to consular staff within a further 48 hours. It took a magistrate four days to deal with the 90 protesters who were arrested.

The Foreign Office is to lodge a formal protest this week on behalf of the Britons with the Italian foreign ministry.

Mr Blair, 35-year-old Daniel McQuillan, Richard Moth, 32, all from north London, and his girlfriend, Nicola Doherty, 27, were freed after appearing in court on Wednesday.

The other Briton, Mark Covell, 33, from London, remains in an Italian hospital under treatment for internal bleeding and broken ribs.

Mr Blair said the police subjected the detainees to psychological abuse, keeping them awake for more than 24 hours and denied medical attention to those with broken limbs. Others claimed to have been spat and urinated on and made to sing fascist songs.



Links


Genoa police (in Italian) http://www.poliziastato.it/questura/genova

Wombles
http://www.wombleaction.mrnice.net

Ya Basta (in Italian)
http://www.yabasta.it