In the early hours of September 6, an operation coordinated by the Digos [political police] of Turin led the searches of 30 homes invarious Italian regions (Piedmont, Liguria, Lazio, Umbria, Lombardy,Abruzzo, Campania, Sardinia and Emilia Romagna) and the arrest of five anarchist comrades accused of subversive association with terrorist intent: Anna, Marco, Sandrone, Danilo and Valentina; in addition, a notification in prison for Nicola and Alfredo. The operation, called “Scripta Manent” [from Latin proverb “verba volant, scripta manent” — spoken words fly away, written words remain], tries to attribute to a single direction a series of direct actions claimed by the Informal Anarchist Organization, reproducing in this way the same repressive strategies of some previous operations, such as Servantes and Boldness (“Ardire”), and trying to impose an associative and vertical structure on the expressions of anarchism. In particular, the attacks inserted in this investigation include the parcel-bombs sent to the CPT’s [detention centres for immigrants] director in Modena in May 2005, to the traffic-cops barracks in Torino-San Salvario and to the chief-police of Lecce (claimed by FAI/Narodnaja Volja), the explosive device against the RIS barracks [carabinieri forensics] in Parma (October 24, 2005, claimed by FAI/Cooperativa Artigiana Fuoco e Affini-occasionalmente spettacolare), the parcel-bomb sent to the Mayor of Bologna Sergio Cofferati (November 2, 2005, claimed by FAI/Cooperativa Artigiana Fuoco e Affini-occasionalmente spettacolare), the devices against the carabinieri cadets’ barracks in Fossano (June 2, 2006, claimed by FAI/RAT-Rivolta Anonima e Tremenda), the devices placed in the Turin neighbourhood, Crocetta (March 7, 2007, claimed by FAI/RAT); among the other actions also the wounding of Adinolfi (May 7, 2012), despite the fact that two comrades (Nikola and Alfredo) have already been convicted and have publicly claimed this attack, to corroborate the crime of association.It seems that the investigators, felt the need to structure their clues, used even linguistic and graphology experts, in addition to electronic and computer surveillance, and tailing.
On Friday morning, June 2nd, the DIGOS [political police] notified the closing of investigations for crimes 270bis (subversive association) and 414 (criminal solicitation) to 7 anarchist, 4 of them are editors of Croce Nera Anarchica and other 2 of RadioAzione and Anarhija.info websites, with “aggravating” for terrorist purposes. For 2 of them is added the article 280 (attack with terrorist purpose), regarding an explosive attack signed by FAI/FRI against the courthouse of Civitavecchia.
On 6 September 2016, five anarchist comrades were arrested as part of the “Scripta manent” operation. For two other fellow prisoners (Alfredo and Nicola) a new incarceration is imposed and, at the same time as the arrests, 32 house searches against anarchists take place. During one of these, another comrade is arrested on charges of having possessed materials suitable for making bombs in the house, and released a few months later. An arrested companion was subsequently transferred to house arrest. The main accusations are: of having constituted or participated in a “subversive association with the purpose of terrorism and subversion of the democratic order” (art. 270bis of the penal code) with reference to FAI (Informal Anarchist Federation) and to FAI / IRF ( Informal Anarchist Federation / International Revolutionary Front); only for some comrades, of “terrorist attack” (art. 280, cp) with reference to about 11 actions carried out through parcels and explosive devices between 2005 and 2007, except for one occurred in 2016, by groups and groups at the Fai; and always only for some comrades, of “instigation to commit crimes” (art. 414, cp) with “the aggravating circumstance of terrorism” with reference to the publication of the last edition of “Croce Nera Anarchica” (four issues between 2014 and 2017) and for the management of some internet sites (the website of C. N A., anarhija.info, RadioAzione). In addition, a substantial part of the “Ardire” operation (June 2012), which involved the arrest of eight comrades, the custody for two other companions at the time already prisoners and countless searches, was merged into “Scripta manent”.
In the first days of June 2017, other investigations were notified to seven other anarchists, a “strand” subsequently merged with the “Scripta manent” operation, whose process began on June 5, 2017 in the courtroom of the Turin court, at the prison of “Le Vallette”. The public prosecutor is Roberto Sparagna. The comrades in prison are detained in sections AS2 (“High Surveillance 2”) in Ferrara, Alessandria and L’Aquila (in April 2019 Anna was transferred from Rome Rebibbia to the latter prison). Some comrades were forced to videoconference from the prison, therefore the impossibility of being present in the courtroom during the hearings.In February 2019, Fr. M. presented his indictment and, subsequently, his own requests for conviction (a little over 200 years for 23 people overall, with maximum sentences between 29 and 30 years). On April 24, following the judges’ decisions, the first instance sentence was issued by the court of Turin, which sentenced five comrades: Anna Beniamino at 17, Marco Bisesti at 5, Alfredo Cospito at 20, Nicola Gai a 9, Alessandro Mercogliano a 5. The latter were therefore recognized as promoters or participants in a “subversive association with the purpose of terrorism or subversion of the democratic order,” while only Anna and Alfredo were convicted of certain attacks made by nuclei and groups of the FAI between 2005 and 2007 (crimes of “terrorist attack,” possession and transport of explosives “and” massacre “). Instead, the remaining 18 fellow defendants were acquitted of all charges (as mentioned, all for art. 270bis v. P. And some for 414 v. P. And 280 v. P.). Among these, following the sentence of first instance that acquitted them, a comrade in prison in the section AS2 in Ferrara and a companion forced under house arrest (previously also in prison, first in Latina then in Rome Rebibbia) were released from prison after a little over two and a half years in prison in custody.
Alfredo and Nicola were already in prison following their sentences (respectively at about 9 and 8 years each) in the process where they were accused of injuring Roberto Adinolfi, CEO of Ansaldo Nucleare (Genoa, 7 May 2012); action claimed with a text from the “Nucleo Olga” of the Fai / Fri. Subsequently, during the trial both have individually claimed the realization of the action.
Appeal
On November 24, 2020, in the bunker room of the prison Le Vallette in Turin the sentence of appeal was issued against those accused in the “Scripta Manent” trial. Most sentences were reduced on appeal.
Donate
It is possible to send money in support of fellow prisoners and defendants following the “Scripta manent” operation by reloading the postpay card n. 5333 1710 7777 2446. Those who prefer to make a bank transfer can contact who manages the cash at the e-mail address cassamanent@tutanota.com and will receive the IBAN coordinates and the card header.