The case of Iolanda Apostolico, the
Catania judge already at the centre of a political storm for
overturning a detention order against four Tunisian nationals
being held at a Sicilian pre-removal facility amid claims of
bias before publication on Thursday of video footage from 2018
showing her at a protest demonstration against the closed-port
policies of the government of the time, "is a source of serious
embarrassment for the institutions", Deputy Premier and
Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said on Friday.
"I count on everyone's cooperation so that common sense and
balance prevail," he added.
On Thursday morning Salvini posted the video showing Apostolico
and her partner at a protest organised at Catania port on August
25, 2018 to call for the immediate disembarkation of dozens of
rescued refugees and migrants who had been kept aboard the coast
guard ship Diciotti for over a week under his orders as interior
minister at the time.
Apostolico reportedly later told colleagues she had positioned
herself between police and the demonstrators to try to prevent
contact after earlier clashes.
Meanwhile, on Friday opposition parties raised questions about
why the video existed in the first place and called on Interior
Minister Matteo Piantedosi to explain.
"The witch hunt unleashed by Salvini against the person of Judge
Apostolico is really incredibly serious" and what happened on
Thursday "deserves answers, which Minister Piantedosi must
give", said centre-left Democratic Party (PD) senators Anna
Rossomando and Walter Verini.
"How did that video come out and from where? Who made it? Are
there perhaps dedicated archives? The episode raises disturbing
questions," they added.
The opposition Five Star Movement (M5S) took a similar line.
"The question we asked ourselves is how did the minister get
hold of the video? Are demonstrators being profiled? Is
profiling being used to gather confidential information? To fuel
hatred and rancour against a magistrate who has taken a decision
that this government does not like?" said M5S deputy Lower House
whip Vittoria Baldino.
"I hope the minister (Piantedosi, ed.) will deign to answer
(these questions) because this is what all citizens are
wondering and have the right to know," she added.
Apostolico drew strong criticism from the government and
politicians last weekend after she overturned detention orders
against four Tunisian nationals being held at the newly-opened
pre-expulsion centre (CPR) at the Pozzallo first reception
centre, or hotspot, in Sicily under a new law providing for the
detention of asylum-seekers from so-called safe countries of
origin during the assessment of their claim on grounds it is
unconstitutional and in breach of EU and international law.
Premier Giorgia Meloni said she was "astonished" by the decision
and the interior ministry said it would appeal against the
ruling, amid allegations - based on social media posts - that
the judge is biased.
The row prompted members of the Italian judiciary's
self-governing body CSM to present a request for a procedure to
be opened to protect Apostolico.
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