A few days ago I retold the story of two journalists, one American and one Italian, and their fight against the police authorities in Italy.
Douglas Preston, the American journalist, wrote to me yesterday with the following supplementary information:
This morning, unexpectedly, an independent three-judge panel annulled the imprisonment of the Italian journalist Mario Spezi and ordered his immediate release. He was set free unconditionally, not even under house arrest. The judges clearly did not think very highly of the evidence–or rather the lack thereof–that Judge Mignini and Chief Inspector Giuttari had presented against Spezi. While Spezi’s legal problems are far from over, at least he is finally out of the grim Capanne Prison.
My friends in Italy tell me that the enormous publicity surrounding the case, in Italy and in America, was an important reason why the panel took the unusual step of overruling a fellow judge and annulling Mignini’s order of imprisonment.
My deepest appreciation to all of you. Together, you struck a major blow for freedom of the press.
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May 3rd, 2006 at 9:19 am
Yes, John, I think the enormous publicity had its weight: this and the fact that the supposed “evidence” was ridiculous.