Italian ex-terrorist guilty in gov't death

Bakersfield Californian ^ | 3/15/05 | AP - Rome

[NormsRevenge]

ROME (AP) - A former member of Italy's feared Red Brigades terrorist group was convicted Tuesday in the death of a government labor adviser and sentenced to 16 years in prison - a harsher sentence than prosecutors had sought.

The judge who convicted Cinzia Banelli handed down a sentence nearly three years longer than asked for by prosecutors, who had argued that Banelli had provided information to investigators about the 2002 killing and announced she was breaking from the extreme leftist group, the Apcom news agency said.

Banelli was convicted Tuesday in the death of Marco Biagi in Bologna. Earlier this month, she and another woman were convicted in the 1999 killing in Rome of Massimo D'Antona, another consultant advising the Italian government on contested reform to tighten Italy's labor laws. Banelli was sentenced in that case to 20 years, again by a judge who gave a harsher sentence than that sought by prosecutors.

The killings were claimed by a new offshoot of the Red Brigades, which had terrorized Italy with slayings and kidnappings in the 1970s and 1980s before entering a period of relative quiet.

Banelli had requested a fast-track trial by a judge instead of a full jury in hopes of receiving leniency after her cooperation.

Among the Red Brigades' most spectacular crimes was the 1978 kidnapping and slaying of former Premier Aldo Moro.

[jocon307]

"A former member of Italy's feared Red Brigades terrorist group was convicted Tuesday in the death of a government labor adviser and sentenced to 16 years in prison - a harsher sentence than prosecutors had sought."

Boy, that says it all about Europe, doesn't it?

Here on FR with the killing of the judge in Atlanta some one (righly imho) stated "he killed a judge, that's about the worst there is", and this is from not the greatest judge loving group around.

In Europe, kill a member of the government and even the prosecution thinks 16 years is too harsh?

Let us never go their way, or no one will be safe, certianly not the judges and certainly not the rest of us.

[No Longer Free State]

Let me get this straight:

1st terrorism murder conviction: 20 years

2nd terrorism murder conviction: 16 years

Both sentences were in excess of prosecutor recommendations.

No wonder they're being taken over by Islamic activists, communists, socialists, radical environmentalists, and homosexual activists...