
Annoncering
Patrizio Gonnella: It is still too soon to tell. The satisfying thing is that one more step was made towards this juridical, political and constitutional goal. For many years it seemed feasible, but in practice it was never accomplished.
Annoncering
This is a crucial point in any democracy: No country can consider itself – or can ever remain – immune to the risk of institutional violence. Nobody can do this because torture is part of a democracy’s pathology. In order to be immune to it we have to call things by their proper name, without fear. Living in a strong democracy does not mean removing the issue – it means being able to take on the problem; recognising it and dealing with it.Why did we only get a bill like this now?
The reason behind the absence of such a law can be found in the personalisation of politics, based on permanent electoral campaigns and leaders who wander in the pursuit of consensus. Strong pressure is also exercised indirectly and in a concealed manner by big Italian security organisations that include both police forces and some police unions.Many cases of torture occurred in police custody. Could the approval of a serious law against the crime of torture lead to a reform of the prison system?
The application of case law is crucial in this case. If there isn't a trial or sentence in the next few years, despite the sentencings, this kind of behaviour will probably be allowed again and again. If case law is applied on the other hand, attitudes could change.On an international level, how did the perception of torture change in western societies after 9/11?
The US has reopened the debate on the matter of torture’s legitimacy. There have been attempts to legitimise forms of “light torture” as well (like those by the US Secretary of Defence Dick Cheney), but in the end both the Patriot Act and the European anti-terrorism legislation did not actually succeed in undermining the internationally codified principles. Things have gotten more complicated since 2001; Clearly there has been an involution within the debate, but it could have been much worse.
