House arrest for Salis in line with EU norms says EC

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 5 - The European Commission said Monday that granting house arrest to Ilaria Salis, an antifascist on trial in Hungary for allegedly attacking two neoNazis a year ago, would be in line with EU norms.
    "The Commission is aware that there have been bilateral contacts between Italy and Hungary and they have discussed the possibility of alternative detention, including house arrest," said European Commissioner for Financial Services, Mairead McGuinness, speaking at a European Parliament plenary session debate on Salis.
    "This measure would be in line with the EU Council conclusions on alternative measures to detention," said McGuinness.
    "The Commission is available to help find a sustainable solution", she said, referring to Italian efforts to get Salis back in Italy under house arrest once she is convicted.
    Separately Deputy Justice Minister Francesco Paolo Sisto reiterated to Italian TV that Salis needs to be granted house arrest in Hungary first in order to obtain house arrest in Italy.
    "We cannot interfere in the judicial system of another country for crimes committed by one of our citizens on the soil of that country," he said.
    "This is true for Italy towards Hungary, but the opposite would obviously also be true.
    "For Ilaria Salis we have the obligation to push for dialogue and collaboration so that she can obtain a measure of house arrest in Hungary and then bring her to Italy.
    "This is also possible by giving reassurances on the execution of the measure: for example, we are able to certify that the electronic bracelet used in Italy is perfectly in a condition to guarantee the safety of home custody". (ANSA).