Italian government slams early release of Rome riot suspects

Dec 17, 2010, 13:01 GMT

Rome - Italy's conservative government Friday condemned a decision by magistrates to release all the suspects arrested for their alleged involvement in riots in Rome this week that left dozens of people injured and caused millions of euros in damage.

A group of inspectors dispatched by Justice Minister Angelino Alfano are to review the procedures that to the release of the 23 suspects on Thursday, the Justice Ministry said in a statement.

Several of the suspects - most of them young leftists - have been ordered to appear in court next week on charges including assault, that stem from clashes with police during Tuesday's riots.

In the meantime, they have all been released on their own recognisance.

The violence - some of the worst in seen in Italy since clashes in Genoa during the 2001 Group of Eight summit - erupted near parliament buildings where a confidence vote on Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government was taking place.

The government eventually won by just three votes, after a tense debate in which included a punch-up between several parliamentarians.

Also on Friday, Interior Minister Roberto Maroni during his parliament briefing on the riots, said he 'respected' the decision by magistrates to release the suspects, but that he did not agree with it.

'These violent types now have the possibility to repeat their violent acts. It would have been logical to keep them in detention,' Maroni said.

He was referring to more planned street demonstrations against government cuts to the education budget. Police have warned more violence could break out.

The interior minister also dismissed as 'unfounded' allegations made by some members of the opposition, leftist newspapers and internet sites, that Tuesday's clashes had been provoked by a group of infiltrators - possibly linked to the police - to disrupt an otherwise peaceful march by student activists.

'Such hypotheses are offensive towards the law enforcement officers,' Maroni told the upper house Senate.

'The truth is that the (police) officers acted with a sense of exemplary responsibility to safeguard the institutions from attack,' Maroni said.

In the aftermath of the violence opposition centre-left Senate leader Ann Finocchiaro referring to the infiltrators said: 'Who sent them? Who is paying them? What do they want to provoke?'

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