Italian prosecutors often want to
interpret rules rather than applying the law, Senate Speaker
Ignazio La Russa said in criticising a six-year jail term
request by a Palermo prosecutor against former interior minister
Matteo Salvini for allegedly kidnapping 147 migrants he stopped
from landing as part of his controversial closed ports for
migrant NGO rescue ships policy five years ago.
"I have full faith in justice, but I think that often the
prosecution, in trials such as this one, lets the argument
prevail that they want to entrust the prosecutor with the task
of extensive interpretation of the rules," said La Russa, a
heavyweight in Premier Giorgia Meloni's rightwing Brothers of
Italy (FdI) party, senior partner to Salvini's League in the
government which also includes the centre-right post Berlusconi
Forza Italia (FI) party.
La Russa is also the second highest institutional figure in
Italy behind President Sergio Mattarella.
"Justice according to them should interpret the rules and
correct them.
"But it is not up to the judiciary to correct the rules, even
when they are wrong: it can only apply the law".
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