With an unprecedented decision, the President for the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of European Parliament Gérard Deprez communicated, a few minutes before the beginning of the official meeting among European MP delegation in Rome to verify rom conditions in Italy and the organizations which handle human rights, the exclusion from the meeting - previewed for Thurday September 18th at 6PM - of Everyone group delegation, invited a few days ago, formed from leaders Roberto Malini, Matteo Pegoraro and Dario Picciau and rom activist Nico Grancea, blocking the access to Palazzo Madama.
The motivations made known by Ana Dumitrache - organizer of LIBE delegation - are attributed to the protest that Everyone group adressed in these days to European Parliament, referred to the delegation composition.
“We criticized the exaggerate presence of Italian MP” Everyone activists clarified. “3 of 7 on Inspector group and 22 of 29 observer members. We riot over the presence of right wing and extreme right wing exponents on the delegation, already famous for the hard propaganda against rom people in Italy: Mario Borghezio, Luca Romagnoli, Roberto Fiore and others.”
It’s inconceivable their presence for judjing Italian Government behaviour and it’s unacceptable from every point of view that extremists who fight against the presence of rom in Italy could take part to an investigation organism about the persecution rank on “nomads” for the European Parliament.
The illegitimate decision of this exclusion at the eleventh hour – that will be reported to European mediator – is revealing its antidemocratic behaviour, as well as the lack of respect on work of European Parliamentary groups (ALDE, PSE, GUE/NGL, Verts/ALE) which constantly cooperates with our group. Last time that an ONG had been expelled was in 1945, in violation of laws that safeguard criticism and expression freedom, from an institutional event related to human rights. This episode is an alarming symptom of how democracy is deeply at risk and of how diplomacies stipulate hidden agreements against rom in our Country.
Translated by Alessia Bertin
