“Operation Scripta Manent” in Italy 2016-2019
A collection of news, updates letters, texts and communiques

Operation ‘Scripta Manent’ is one repressive operation among the many that have already occurred, and continue to occur, against comrades who dare to oppose the Italian State. The pretext here was of trying to find those who have taken part in Informal Anarchist Federation attacks since 2005, but it is also an attempt to destroy all insurrectional conflict in Italy and to cut off any solidarity.

Just because comrades fall or are imprisoned does not mean they are not with us, neither will we be paralysed into passivity and ‘philanthropic solidarity’, the conflict against all authority continues.

Call for International Solidarity. “Operation Scripta Manent” trial begins on November 16 2017

On November 16th, at 10 am, in front of the high security court in Turin, the first hearing of the trial Scripta Manent will take place. It will be a long-running case in which 22 anarchist comrades have been charged, and seven of them are still in prison.

The repressive State apparatus accuses a part of the anarchist move- ment of attacking it with the practices of destructive direct action against its structures and agents, realization and distribution of anarchist publi- cations, and support for revolutionary prisoners.

The theorem of prosecutor Sparagna is that the positions of accused comrades are isolated and distant from the general anarchist context.

This is a blatant attempt to factionalise and confine anarchism to certain fenced enclosures, legal and interpretative.

We are demolishing the attempt to isolate these comrades and affirm that the practices and positions they are accused of constitute a patrimony of all anarchists and revolutionaries, and we reaffirm our closeness and our solidarity with the defendants.

We call to take part in the gathering on Thursday, November 16th, at 10 am, in front of the high security court in “le Vallette” Turin prison, and relaunch the call for international solidarity with all anarchist, rebel and revolutionary prisoners; in any place and in accordance with their own methods.

Operation “Scripta Manent”: 30 raids and 5 arrests for the attacks of Informal Anarchist Organization (FAI)

In the early hours of September 6, 2017 an operation coordinated by the Digos [political police] of Turin led the raids of 30 homes in various 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 anarchist conflictuality.

In particular, the attacks inserted in this investigation include the parcelbombs 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 of 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 have already been convicted and have publicly claimed this attack, in order 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.

Naples – September carrion
Operation “Scripta Manent”

At about 5 o’clock this morning, September 6, 2017 almost like an anniversary or the tax due on the garbage, a pack of guard dogs materialized outside my door.

They were not begging for nuggets, biscuits or bones but weapons, explosives, claims, Croce Nera Anarchica, Pagine in Rivolta and KNO3. With the arrogance typical of watchdogs, they pushed their way into the house and started rummaging, not before having delivered me the formal invitation signed, not by me of course, but a certain Roberto M. Sparagna who works as inquisitor on behalf of the Prosecutor of Turin. Apart from a few “Cobra” firecrackers and a smoke bomb they did not find anything else “dangerous” and gave vent to their hunger on newspapers, pamphlets and posters, especially from Greece and Mexico, the above Italian anarchist publications and others, posters with FAI / FRI symbols as well as a good amount of correspondence even from decades ago.

After turning my room upside down and visiting those of my roommates, they asked me to accompany them to the police station to list the sum total of the raid and receive a receipt of confiscation.

Once again, with Septembrian surgical precision, they have unleashed raids and issued notifications of impending investigations; but above all some comrades have been kidnapped, 8 to be precise…

This time, in order to gain a place on the State payroll for a few years, the prosecutor R. M. Sparagna had to fish in troubled waters, going back to events that happened in 2003 (who knows if the next inquisitor will accuse and arrest us for the “Matese uprising” or the “revolt of Piombino “…

Those that the “wig” on duty is turning to, and has summed up under “270bis”, are attacks carried out from 2003 onwards with the signature FAI / FRI, not knowing that back in 2004 someone from Rome had tried with “Operation Cervantes” and a couple of years later with the operation against the comrades of the then Croce Nera Anarchica [Anarchist Black Cross].

The arrest of our comrades will not succeed in making us beat a retreat, so arm yourselves with “holy inquisitorial” patience because you will have to wake us up at dawn for a long time … if you can find us still in our beds … Alfredo, Nicola, Anna, Marco, Alessandro, Daniele, Danilo and Valentina will not be left alone even for a second.

Our thoughts will be with them every moment of their sequestered lives, in their every breath, in each one of our steps along the paths of the dark woods.

Bristol: Vandalism of various prison workers property by Eco-anarchist vandals – FAI/IRF (UK)

This is dedicated to all the very young ones, youths with no direction yet, the kids that punch out at everything. Those that hate being told what to do and hate authority, who’ve fell foul of the law, who don’t even consider anarchy. Rebels without a cause. A prison gate is a border, it is a part of the class system, crime, scarcity and resource war. They need people to control and use in private prison labour. The prisons are exploding.

HMP Bristol, Horfield – 2 cars of screws are scratched and tires punctured, one a black sportscar – P6 SHT.

Horfield, Bristol – 12 Oak Road, house of screw has ‘bars’ sprayed on the windows and “screw” scrawled on the house in spraypaint.

Done in the International Week of Solidarity to Anarchist Prisoners, 23-30 August.

Solidarity to the anarchists in Italy arrested in Operation Scripta Manent and to all those in the prison uprising in America, 9 September.

Eco-anarchist vandals – FAI/IRF

Letter from anarchist comrade Anna Beniamino (Croce Nera Anarchica a-periodical, Issue no.3, pages 2-4)

SCRIPTA MANENT

The prosecution in Turin have decided to put an entire anarchist tendency on trial: anti-organisation Anarchism. This isn’t a sensationalist and defensive overstatement, it’s what the Turin investigating judge, Anna Ricci, enacted with the arrest warrants issued in July 2016, and enforced in September, probably to avoid disrupting the summer holidays of some pubic official.

The inquisitors’ choice is clear from the ridiculous framework that appeared in the arrest warrant papers, a product of the deleterious encounter between the mind of some cop and the rushed reading of a wikipedia summary. The framework gives shape to a repressive-Manichean vision of a ‘social anarchy’, a good and harmless one, and an (anti-social and anti-classist) ‘individual anarchy’, violent and palatable to repression, whose method is the ‘anti-organization model’. By making the necessary distinctions, this framework aims to define a specific camp, to create a cage, so that from a generic ‘insurrectionism’, (a sub-product of the anti-organization model), always violent and liable to punishment to varying degrees, sub-species can be pulled out to form different strands of the investigation[1] for Italian cops: ‘classic insurrectionism’, ‘social insurrectionism’, ‘eco insurrectionism’ and the ‘informal anarchist federation’.

That different tensions and tendencies exist within Anarchism is a fact, but it’s also true that this type of rigid categorisation is an inherent feature of the mindset and requirements of the inquisitors, who are set on delineating a specific area in order to make their manoeuvres as best they can: it is within this space that the following operation lies. Historically, solidarity with revolutionary prisoners has been a focal point of interest for anarchists and a way to come together and build a rebellious sensitivity: revolutionary solidarity not solidarity with revolutionaries.

Devised by the Turin Digos and prosecutors back in 2012, in the wake of 20 years of recurring and failed repressive attempts, operation Scripta Manent led to the arrest of 5 anarchists: A.M., V.S., D.C., M.B., A.B., all already under investigation and/or arrested following various anarchist publications on action and repression, specifically, Pagine in Rivolta[2], the Croce Nera Anarchica bulletin[3], KNO3[4]. In addition, there were arrest warrants for A.C. and N.G., two comrades in prison since 2012 following an attack on the managing director of Ansaldo Nucleare, Adinolfi, which was claimed in court in October 2013 as the Olga Nucleus (FAI/FRI). For years, they’d been known as the editors of Pagine in Rivolta and Alfredo had already been prosecuted for KNO3.

Four other anarchists have been put under investigation, all of whom were imprisoned during the Ardire operation[5], part of which converges into these current legal proceedings, along with 4 more whose arrests the judge refused to validate in the July warrant and led to the prosecutor’s unsuccessful appeal attempt in October 2016. In addition, 32 raids were carried out across Italy, during which a comrade and editor of CNA was arrested and is still being held in prison under the AS2 regime[6].

The investigation is still underway. The operation is being led by prosecutor Roberto Sparagna, new to socalled anti-terrorism proceedings but well-known for having run trials for so-called organised crime. It is unknown whether this operation was down to him or the input of Turin cops: the latter seems much more likely, as the bulk of the investigation was conducted and archived by the Digos over the years and because of little picturesque background events like the “greetings from Dr. Petronzi” (Turin’s ex-Digos chief), which Sparagna made sure to extend to the arrested during one of his interrogation attempts.

It matters little whether the prosecutor is essentially a puppet/ventriloquist or whether he’s driven by his own will; the declared intent is to repress and silence an anarchist component that has always supported, and continues to support, direct action, solidarity with revolutionary prisoners, the multiform practices of anarchist destructive action and permanent rebellion against political conformism and compliance inside and outside the milieus of the movement.

Everyone is charged under article 270bis, some since 2003, others since 2008[7] relating to FAI/FRI to various degrees, as both ‘promoters/ organisers’, as well as ‘participants’.

A.C. and N.G. are also charged with article 280bis for a string of attacks[8] carried out from 2005 to 2007 on the basis of what is defined as a ‘serious investigative framework’ even if, in actual fact, the same comrades had already been investigated by the same cops, with the same ‘evidence’ shortly after the same events and in 2012[9], using the usual armoury of phone tapping, eavesdropping, video recording, tailing, DNA sampling, etc. and the cases had been archived.

Launched on the back of the 2012 arrests, this investigation is an attempt to apply an associative charge to the case of the wounding of Adinolfi and to investigate a whole political area of comrades who have expressed solidarity with those arrested and with their action: the cops used article 270bis and their so-called ‘crimes of intent’, in order to sift through what had already passed through the hands of various Italian prosecutors, putting everything together under their jurisdiction by reviving and rehashing a series of case files that had previously been archived.

This attempt to bring everything together is also mentioned in the judicial order itself and had seeped into the media quite extensively in recent years, as well as in August 2016, with newspaper articles that described ‘anti-terrorism summits’ held between the different prosecutors and made grand claims of ‘bad masters’ and ‘violent infiltrators’ in contexts that in themselves, were democratically acceptable.

This time, having followed a temporal and logical format that inverts the classic action/repression sequence, repression is retroactively looking for unsolved actions and political positions consolidated over the course of 20 years, as a restraint and a warning against the current “excessive” shows of solidarity. These are clearly aimed at repressing unwelcome solidarity and the spread of an anarchist feeling that openly talks about prisoners and actions, publishes and supports them. The cops’ ambitions aimed even higher, as evident in the raids, failed arrests and most of all, in the accusatory framework that spans 20 years of anarchist actions and publications.

The excursus begins with the Marini trial[10] in 1996 and ends with the current Croce Nera Anarchica, tracing an optimal line that starts from critiques of how the Marini Trial was handled, passes through the various articles and claims presented in Pagine in Rivolta, KNO3 and CNA, and ends with writings containing discussions and calls to be present at the Adinolfi trial (WITH OUR HEADS HELD HIGH and HERE AND NOW) and finally, with today’s CNA.

This is why it is not an overstatement to claim that this legal proceeding is one that is being extended to an anarchist feeling, even if it is trying to hone in on the circle: cornerstones of anti-authoritarian thought and method such as direct action and the rejection of representation, affinity and informality, revolutionary solidarity and mutual aid, become, in the words and paper rubbish of inquisitors, the dangerous raw material that must be repressed as soon as it appears.

It is neither simply a ‘crime of opinion’ that’s being put on trial, nor the censorship of the democratic freedom of expression: this is the war that authority is waging against the bond between thought and action that lies at the basis of anarchism.

By trying to strike publications, blogs or any other means of communication anarchists decide to use, repression only reaffirms the validity of these means: to be a thorn in the side of subjugation and silence.

The attack of the State will only fuel the insurrection
Solidarity to the anarchist comrades arrested in Italy

The insurrectionist attack and international solidarity continues in the hearts and action of the rebels around the world. Repression will lead to nothing more than their spreading. The attack of the state will only fuel the insurrection. We send our flaming solidarity to the anarchist comrades arrest in “Operazione Scripta Manent” in italy Alessandro, Marco, Danilo, Valentina, Anna, Alfredo, Nicola, and Daniele.

Solidarity benefit gig on 11/2/17 for anarchists arrested in operation ‘Scripta Manent’ in Italy. London UK

Flier

SOLIDARITY WITH THE ANARCHISTS ARRESTED FOLLOWING THE LATEST POLICE OPERATION IN ITALY

In the early hours of 6th September 2016, an operation coordinated by the Digos (political police) of Turin led to the searches of 30 homes in various 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. In addition, two anarchists who have been in custody since September 2012 received notification in prison.

The police operation is called “Scripta Manent” (from Latin proverb “verba volant, scripta manent” — spoken words fly away, written words remain), and is just the latest in a series of similar others carried out throughout the last decades, all of them meant to take anarchists out of the streets and into jail. Why? Because anarchist ideas and practices are dangerous to power. These are ideas and practices, theory and action, which have one and only unequivocal object: total liberation and the destruction of all forms of oppression, no matter whether we live in times of “crisis” or not. But during a period of “crisis” people often stop being passive recipients of decisions imposed from above. Anarchists, in this sense, can set an example in terms of attack, direct action and self-organization of the struggle. That’s the reason behind the many operations with fancy names (Cervantes, Night Time, Boldness, etc.) that have cost many comrades time in prison and endless judicial proceedings.

Italian public prosecutors don’t even need any evidence of “crime” to order raids and arrests against anarchists. So if you are an anarchist in Italy you can expect your home to be stormed by dozens of armed cops at any time, and you end up in jail for months on end awaiting trial for some police investigation often based on inconsistent evidence.

“Scripta Manent”, in particular, is focused on a string of direct actions claimed by various groups of the FAI, Informal Anarchist Organization, between 2004 and 2012. The attacks inserted in this investigation include the parcel-bombs sent to the CPT (detention centre for immigrants) director in Modena in May 2005, to the traffic-cops barracks in Torino-San Salvario and to the chief-police of Lecce, the explosive device against the RIS barracks (carabinieri forensics) in Parma (October 2005), the parcel-bomb sent to the Mayor of Bologna Sergio Cofferati (November 2005), the devices against the carabinieri cadets’ barracks in Fossano (June 2, 2006), the devices placed in the Turin neighbourhood Crocetta (March 2007). In order to corroborate the crime of association, another action was included in the list: the shooting and kneecapping of Roberto Adinolfi (May 2012), managing director of nuclear power company Ansaldo Nucleare, despite the fact that two comrades (Alfredo Cospito and Nicola Gai) have already been convicted and have publicly claimed this attack putting a supposed end to the case.

The comrades arrested in operation “Scripta Manent” are: Marco Bisesti – Alessandro Mercogliano – Anna Beniamino – Danilo Emiliano Cremonese – Valentina Speziale – Alfredo Cospito and Nicola Gai.

Another comrade, Daniele Cortelli, was arrested in relation to other proceedings on charges of possession of material for the manufacture of explosive devices, following the discovery in his apartment of some batteries and an electrician’s manual.

In the face of all this, we can only stand by the side of those who struggle against this rotten society based on exploitation and who believe in action as a means to change things. Let’s not allow repression to achieve its aims of intimidation and scaremongering that would want us to be submissive and obedient to the order of the law.

Freedom for all!

Fire to all prisons!

Communique from Daniele Cortelli from Regina Coeli prison

“Between these four increasingly narrow walls,

I cultivate my hatred of the system. “

If you are an anarchist get it into your head, if you have not already done so, that it could be your turn to end up in prison sooner or later, and that the paths that could lead you there are many.

If you are an anarchist, first, you have to be careful about what you keep at home: simple things, trivial or almost, become components of devices or explosives in the cops’ reports, a story we have also seen recently in Bologna with a comrade ending up in AS2 in Ferrara. Even books, pamphlets and leaflets, so-called “paperwork”, become proof of affiliation with terrorist organizations.

And then there are the classic conspiracy charges, usually 270a, that allow the guards to throw you inside without even bothering to provide “concrete evidence”.

In short, the roads are many, but the reason is one: being irreducibly aligned against power.

If I say this it is certainly not to complain about the iniquity of democratic justice, but to point out how easy it is for an anarchist to end up in prison, no matter how careful one is. Awareness of this risk should not scare us, just keep us ready.

So “Scripta Manent” was not at all unexpected but is a repressive attack whose only uncertainty was “when”, not “if.” An attack by the democratic regime against those who, within it, still refuse to submit to the values and morals of dominion by getting into in a conciliatory perspective of dialogue and compromise, but remain in open confrontation with power.

“The State is not thinkable without lordship and servitude … For the State it is indispensable that nobody have their own will; if one had, the State would have to exclude that one; if all had, they would do away with the State.”

This society, where everything has its price like in a shopping mall, where anything can be bought and sold as long as you have the money, this society based on profit no matter what the cost will always have a staunch enemy in who is not willing to trade their life and their dignity. Money is the only driving force of this system of death and misery. The State legitimates it, the police defend it, the newspapers give voice to its lies. Anarchists reject it and attack it.

Solidarity with those arrested, those under investigation and those raided in operation “Scripta Manent”.

Solidarity with those who are paying the price for opposing this system of domination in this world.

With those who under a leaden sky choose to bring about the storm. For a world built on the ruins of this one.

“Charges upon charges, sentences upon sentences,
what counts is the hour of capitulation.”

[Whatthefuck]ps: Daniele, comrade editor of CROCE NERA ANARCHICA, was arrested in relation to other proceedings on charges of possession of material for the manufacture of explosive devices, following the discovery in his apartment of some batteries and an electrician’s manual, and was released on 7/2/ 17 from prison.

Call for a solidarity presence at the preliminary hearing for operation “Scripta Manent”

FOR ANARCHY ALWAYS

A preliminary hearing for the operation “Scripta Manent” trial will be held on 5th June 2017 in Turin. The hearing is to decide on various charges, including ‘creation and participation in a subversive associa tion’, several explosive attacks on carabinieri, politicians, journalists and companies involved in the construction of prisons and detention centres for migrants – all claimed by the Informal Anarchist Federation, as well as instigation to commit a crime and attempting to defend criminal acts following pieces published in Croce Nera Anarchica. There are 15 people on trial, 7 of whom are locked up in AS2 sections in the prisons of Ferrara, Alessandria and Rebibbia. The imprisoned comrades are subjected to constant harassment and further restrictions in the communication between one another and with the outside. In spite of this, they are continuing the struggle against the system of domination and keeping up conflictuality through acts of revolt and contributions to the conflict between anarchists and the enemy in authority.

In particular:

- In January 2015, 7 anarchists held in the AS2 unit of Ferrara, following noisy protests and strong confrontations with the guards, were given 15 days’ solitary confinement each in turn.

- In August 2016 anarchist Alfredo Cospito smashed the glass partition between the visiting room and the guards’ room in solidarity with the imprisoned members of the Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire; for this reason he’s soon to get 15 days’ solitary confinement.

- In the days following operation “Scripta Manent”, anarchists Anna Beniamino and Alfredo Cospito went on hunger strike to put an end to isolation and the prohibition for those arrested to see each other.

- In September and October 2016, anarchist Marco Bisesti refused to be subjected to a tuberculosis test on his arrival in the prison, following which he spent a long time in the basement of the Rebibbia prison.

- In November 2016, anarchist Alessandro Mercogliano refused to comply with the identification procedure (photos and fingerprinting) in the prison of Ferrara; he’s just finished serving 15 days in solitary confinement.

- In December 2016, anarchist Marco Bisesti damaged the windows of the screws’ office in the AS2 unit of Ferrara, where he’s being held. Not satisfied, as soon as he was in the cell he destroyed the opaque panels installed on the air vents. He too got 7 days in solitary confinement.

- From 3rd to 13th May 2017, anarchist Alfredo Cospito was on hunger strike against censorship, which had become more pressing after the end of the investigation; as a result, practically all incoming and outgoing letters are blocked.
Similarly, other comrades held hostage by the State are paying for being irreducible on their skin.

- Almost total censorship is striking anarchist Maddalena Calore, held in the prison of Uta (Cagliari).

- The comrades recently arrested in Turin decided to refuse and resist DNA sample-taking in the police station.

- Anarchist Davide Delogu from Sardinia, following an attempted escape, has been in punitive solitary confinement regime since 1st May in the prison of Augusta (Sassari) and will be for 3 months. Currently he’s being held in a bare cell.

As we express solidarity with our comrades, we express solidarity with all those who struggle against prison from the inside.

For us, to remain on the side of our comrades also means to take collectively the burden of their charges, as part of the anarchists’, revolutionaries’ and rebels’ struggle.

Therefore we are making a call for a solidarity presence outside the bunker courtroom of the “Le Vallette” prison in Turin on Monday 5th June 2017 from 9am, when the preliminary hearing of the operation “Scripta Manent” trial begins.

”Scripta Manent” 7 other anarchists charged for subversive association (02/06/2017)

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.

The notification was not combined with a search and those involved were not arrested.

It seems, from the documents, that these wave of charges, made by the same prosecutor Roberto Maria Sparagna, are an extension of operation Scripta Manent, for which will be held the preliminary hearing at Monday, June 5th.

About the investigations against RadioAzione, Anarhija.info and Croce Nera Anarchica

June 2nd, the DIGOS [political police] knocked on the doors of my house and of six other comrades’ to notify us of the closure of preliminary inquiries for a further investigation by the Public prosecutor of Turin and the prosecutor Roberto Sparagna [in charge of Scripta Manent], parallel to the investigation called “Scripta manent”, focusing on the anarchist web-sites of counter-information RadioAzione, Anarhija.info and Croce Nera Anarchica.

Concerning Croce Nera Anarchica, the paper journal is also targeted, as well as its distribution and who organized the presentation of the same journal in Italy.

The articles in question are: 270bis (subversive association with the purposes of terrorism) and 414 (criminal solicitation). A further article, 280 (attack with the purposes of terrorism), is referring to two of the comrades.

Translation of texts, predisposition, solicitation, defending of criminal acts, conception and dissemination through the web-sites and journals of ideological “insurrectionist-armed struggle” propaganda, money raising to support the imprisoned comrades, and the attack against a substation of Enel [manufacturer and distributor of electricity and gas] in Civitavecchia, January 12th, 2016, signed by “Pyrotechnical committee for an extraordinary year F.A.I.-F.R.I.”.

This is the human misery produced by the filthy magistrate of Public prosecutor’s office in Turin, Roberto Sparagna.

The intentions are quiet clear: to do everything to isolate furthermore the anarchist comrades imprisoned for “Scripta Manent”.

But the gravedigger on-duty can put his soul at rest, because there will never be a step back!

The counter-information on web-sites and in journals will continue to be updated, as we will continue to raise money to support the comrades imprisoned in your shitty camps, and above all not a single one of those comrades that you took away from us, depriving us of their everyday physical presence, will remain isolated.

Finally, till my last breath on this shitty planet, I will hope there will be 10, 100, 1000 direct actions!

(03/07/2017)

The preliminary hearing for the “Scripta Manent” investigation will be held on 11 and 17/18/19/20 of July. I would like to point out that from 3. June five other comrades of Croce Nera Anarchica, myself, the undersigned of RadioAzione, and the comrade who runs RadioAzione [Croatia] (at the hearing of June 26th it has been decided that she will be tried separately, but still with the same charges), have been added to the comrades already arrested and under investigation.

Looking into the documents relating to the investigation, we have learned that the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Naples had opened an investigation against me in 2012, as well as an old comrade also accused in the Marini inquiry, and other comrades from Lazio [Italian region] on the subject of Informal Anarchist Federation.

For five years we have been subjected to a total control, which has resulted in including other comrades in the investigation, including the Croatian comrade of RadioAzione. Key-logger installed on computer, wiretapping, tailing even for 600 kilometres… Kind of “if I forgot where I put something, I can ask Agent Elena (the name they gave to the key-logger)”.

After five years of fictive control, on 10. January the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Naples demanded an arrest for me, the comrade of RadioAzione [Croatia] and two other Greek comrades (one of which is already imprisoned for C.C.F.).

From that moment on, everything has been taken over by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Turin and the prosecutor Sparagna [in charge of Scripta Manent], since the Office of Naples did not have jurisdiction over the crimes we are charged for.

What are we accused of?

Of providing counter-information through web-sites and magazines, translation of responsibility claims from across the world, of support, sustaining, solidarity and complicity with the anarchist comrades Alfredo [Cospito] and Nicola [Gai], raising money for imprisoned comrades. Of having created an Italian-Croatian-Greek cell of F.A.I.

In some parts of the documents, the prosecutor on duty tries to foment the rifts which exist between some of us and the rest of the anarchist movement, and furthermore he invents out of thin air, through wiretapping transcribed in his own way, a disagreement between me and the comrades of CNA [Croce Nera Anarchica], while there has been a full cooperation since the beginning, and I believe that it is the only anarchist journal in Italy worthy of reading, so much so that I am accused of organizing the presentation of this project in Naples. I am saying this just to stop immediately some sharp tongues.

If these are the charges, then:

I claim to have published on the web-site RadioAzione everything in affinity with me. I claim to have given and continue to give Solidarity and Complicity to Alfredo, Nicola and all other comrades-brothers and sisters arrested in September.

I claim to have raised money for the arrested comrades.

I claim to have organized the presentation of Croce Nera Anarchica in Naples, hoping to organize others in the future.

I claim to be anarchist, individualist and for insurrection!

(Agent Elena, did you copy and photograph everything right? Then, report all to your bosses!)

On 17 July 2017, at the court of Turin the last day of preliminary hearing concerning the inquiry “Scripta Manent” was held. The judge’s decision for preliminary investigation came as no surprise: all those charged were committed to trial.

The trial, for all comrades accused of being part of Informal Anarchist Federation [F.A.I.] — International Revolutionary Front [F.R.I.], will start on November 16th. For all, except for Giuseppe Lo Turco who asked for the abbreviated trial procedure.

An inquiry, the “Scripta Manent”, which inevitably recalls the “Marini” (1995) one. Only one cauldron of different inquiries, as “Ardire” (Perugia), “Shadow” (Perugia), “Moto” (L’Aquila), “Evoluzione” (Naples).

Fire... To Make

On 2 June 2017, the DIGOS [political police], by order of the Turin Prosecutor’s Office puppet, Roberto M. Sparagna, has launched the notifications against me and against six other anarchist comrades of mine, concerning a new inquiry.

In short, it’s about the closing of investigations of a further inquiry parallel to the one named “Scripta Manent”, focusing its attentions on anarchist web-sites RadioAzione, Anarhija.info and Croce Nera Anarchica.

Regarding Croce Nera Anarchica, the paper journal is also targeted, its printing and distribution, some of its particular texts, and those who organized its presentations in Italy.

The charges for everyone are: 270bis (subversive association with purposes of terrorism) in conjunction with the anarchist comrades under investigation in the first part of the OP. Scripta Manent for the same things, and 414 of the penal code (criminal solicitation, always with purposes of terrorism), clandestine press, translation of texts, preparation, incitement, defending of criminal acts, conception and spreading through the web-sites and journals of ideological “insurrectionist-armed struggle” propaganda, money-raising to support the imprisoned comrades. Furthermore, two of us are charged under article 280 (attack with purposes of terrorism) for the attack on the court of Civitavecchia, on 12 January 2016 signed “Pyrotechnical committee for an extraordinary year F.A.I.-F.R.I.”.

In addition, on June 5th, during the preliminary hearing for OP. “Scripta Manent”, the miserable Sparagna requested that the two lines of inquiry be merged, producing the documents the same morning. Therefore, the preliminary hearing has been postponed for June 27th.

The intentions are quite clear: to do everything to isolate the imprisoned anarchist comrades and those who express certain positions in the own journals further. But the gravedigger on-duty who wants to bury us in his graves of iron and concrete, can be sure that there will never be one millimetre back.

Sempri pro s’anarchia. Sempri Ainnantis! [in Sardinian: Always for anarchy. Always Forward!]

Madrid, Spain: Action in Solidarity with the Anarchist Comrades in Italy facing Trial as a result of Operation Scripta Manent

On November 15, 2017 a day before the start of the Operation Scripta Manent trials, a group of anarchist comrades gathered in front of the Italian Embassy in Madrid in support of the comrades detained in this operation. The comrades gave out the following text:

In September 2016, arrests and searches for this operation took place in Italy. Once again they are trying to attribute different actions to a supposed hierarchical organizational structure, as was done previously in Italy with Operation Osadia. This repressive strategy has been used in a similar way in the Spanish, Greek, French etc states in an attempt to fit the anarchist conflict and its practices into accusations of terrorist or similar organizations. Anarchism will never be able to fit into these structures, since it is horizontally based and fights against hierarchies and all kinds of authority.

All our support and strength to the comrades that will be judged from this Thursday. Four of the defendants have been denied the possibility of being present at the trial and may instead appear via video conference. In solidarity with them, some of the accused comrades are refusing to attend.

International solidarity with all those who fight for freedom Courage and strength to our comrades

Against all authority, for anarchy

Hamburg , Security company vehicle burnt in solidarity with the Scripta Manent accused, Greek prisoners, Lisa of the Aachen case and the G20 rebels

Sabotage is the appropriate means for destroying the facade of authority. When the agencies engaged in guaranteeing its security find their tools in ruins, their power is visibly questioned and this encourages us to keep on breaking the rules.

It’s similar to what is happening in Switzerland with the Implenia company, which is paying for its involvement in a prison project with its building machinery being set on fire. As also for VINCI, SPIE and EIFFAGE for the connections that these companies have with the repression.

On 13 November 2017 in Hamburg, the “Sicherheit Nord” fleet in Barmbeck was destroyed by flames, as we burned several vehicles. In ten Länder,[11] “Sicherheit Nord” collaborates with the police, controls the NATO base in Lüneburg, embassies, facilities where refugees are locked up and places in neighbourhoods that the dominant feel are unsafe.

This action and text are for us. For the thousands of people who made the revolt in Hamburg possible. For the prisoners. For the persons involved in the Script Manent operation in Italy. A fire in solidarity with the hunger strike of Nikos Maziotis and Pola Roupa, a greeting to Konstantino G., arrested for sending a parcel bomb and his belonging to the CCF. Freedom for Lisa, [imprisoned] for a bank robbery in Aachen! We encourage the struggle against the State at all levels. The repression won’t stop us!

For anarchy!

Updates on Scripta Manent No. 2 March 2018

Text by Anna and Marco about the progress of the trial in which they are defendants for the Scripta Manent operation.

At the hearings of January and February the witnesses for the accusation (originally the PM Sparagna mentioned there would be about seventy) have continued to be heard, mainly Turin Digos, police, carabinieri, bomb disposal experts, witnesses, the forensic departments of Rome and of the Ris of Parma, all in relation to the specific alleged crimes. Also some editors or former editors of Radio Blackout of Turin have been called to testify on the receiving of some claims, and an occupant of the Asilo in relation to knowing and corresponding with the defendants.

At the hearings of March 7th and 8th those who would be the pillars of the accusatory set up, lending their work as “geniuses” to prop everything up: the handwriting experts, linguistic / stylistic analysis expert, and a Turin Digos cop to give the general picture of the accusation, presented their reports.

The graphology duo Rosanna Ruggeri and Paola Sangiorgi, experts / consultants of the PM who practise their trade privately, not at Forensics, Ris or wherever, reported during the hearing of 7 March, the assessment carried out in 2014 comparing stencilled texts and handwritten addresses on the incendiary / explosive packages to Turin Chronicle, Coema Edilità and the then Mayor Chiamparino of July 2006 and related claims with handwriting samples of three of the defendants (notes taken during searches, letters from prison, various other forms). The duo expressed the certainty that the stencilled writings are not attributable. Regarding comparisons with hand writings they tried to emphasize the similarities or the peculiar graphic traits between single characters chosen among the various writing samples: the outcome would be a probable similarity with some samples of two of the defendants.

The duo took a couple of hours, rather than motivating the “probability”, they were defending the seriousness of the services offered and the method used that precisely … does not allow attribution on a basis of certainty but is probabilistic. In addition to this the defence, referring to their ignorance of analysis carried out previously, pointed out that the same artefacts (the handwritten labels of the parcels of 2006 and relative claims) were the subject of expertise in the course of investigations made at the time of the events, in particular in the report of the Ris of Parma in July 2006 it had been established that these were writings derived from tracing, therefore were not attributable.

The linguistic / stylistic expert consultant of the PM, Michele Cortelazzo, professor at the University of Padua reported on the appraisal done in 2014 in which he compared texts of articles published by three of the defendants and several texts of claims signed by several FAI groups. The expert admits that the language used is part of the “discursive universe of antagonist movements”. However, he creates linking between texts of the articles and some claims based on the “qualitative” and “quantitative” method.

The quantitative analysis, it is explained, is carried out through software which creates combinations based on terms found by sifting through portions of text. In particular, some “characteristic features” are indicated such as the use of terms, not phrases, such as “gym”, “anonymous”, dictologies (pairings of two terms) containing “force” and / or “joy”, “on duty”, “more or less” and so on. Without resorting to the synergy between software and a professor, it seems that these terms are part of common language, not just of the movement.

After the uncertainties of the experts were exposed it became the time of the long report, which lasted more than one hearing and ended on March 15, of what appears to be the skeleton of the investigation. The know-all of the Turin Digos a certain Luciano Quattrocchi made his debut championing his skills as an investigator in operations on non-anarchist areas, and then exposed his personnel application of the accusatory scheme, on the suggestion of PM Sparagna, of his new analytical tool, the binomial exclusion / inclusion (one supposes from the list of good and bad …) to contextualize the insertion of sentences extrapolated from newspapers, writings, comments and documents published over the last 20 years, discussions and knowledge between comrades, past repressive events (in this case taken entirely, without moving a comma, environmental interceptions, reconstruction of the investigations of the events of the Crocetta district, in Turin, archived in 2009) and investigations reopened ad hoc.

Under the lens of the investigators a bit of everything goes: from Emile Henry to Horst Fantazzini and Baleno, from the documents of Azione Rivoluzionaria for which one of the current defendants was tried more than thirty years ago and on which other defendants were preparing a historical memory (part of a larger book on the practices of anarchist struggle, in recent years) to those inherent in the debate during the Marini trial (a document read out in court, in a cage, for the death of Baleno in 1998, discussions on the need to give voice to the various positions on organisational methods, communiques from prison).

It then passed to the analysis of Croce Nera, old and new, up to the articles published in the last issue, precisely on Scripta Manent and the analysis of the correspondence, under censorship, of the arrested.

With the hearing of April 12, at the request of the prosecution, the translation from Spanish of the old correspondence that ended up in the acts of some defendants was assigned to an expert. It then passed to the counter-examination of the Turin Digos cop by the defence.

During the counter-examination one of the accused comrades intervened retracing his experience from December ’69, to experience in Azione Rivoluzionaria, in hiding, prison, up until today. At the next hearings on April 18 and May 3, the Ros of Perugia and Naples should appear to report on their respective investigations, which were then merged into this trial: the so-called operations, Ardire, Evolution I and II.

Declaration of “Scripta Manent” accused at the hearing of May 31st 2018

In view of the presence in solidarity at the court on March 31, we are writing these few lines to reaffirm a few fundamental concepts regarding this trial and the court carrying it out. First of all, we reaffirm our closeness to the arrested comrades: for us they are brothers and the pride with which they are confronting this little theatre makes us proud.

We also reaffirm our attachment, stronger than ever, to the anarchist ideal and our hatred of this society that thrives on death and exploitation. We are anarchists, it is normal for the State to attack us, we do not expect anything else from you and this is why your repression does not surprise us except for its clumsiness and scares us even less. In fact, after a year and a half you find us with the same positions of attack on this system.

We are accused of terrorism, but we continue to point the finger at the State and its laws that you administer which legitimize the exploitation, exclusion and death of millions of people throughout the world every day, to protect the interests of those who profit from all this. It is you who are under accusation: the dead in the wars in the Middle East and Africa, those who drown while fleeing poverty, the increasingly fierce exploitation of labour, the plundering of resources and the destruction of ecosystems, living conditions more and more like survival and the ever deeper interference in our lives by the State. The law would like to treat the dissent that all this generates with jail, branding it as a crime, but it takes a lot more to shut us up.

War to the State, for Anarchy

Nothing is finished, everything continues

Volano, Repeater burnt, writings in solidarity with the anarchists of Operation ”Scripta Manent”

In the first light of dawn on Saturday 4 August 2018 an incendiary attack destroyed the Wind and Vodafone repeater near the railway underpass of Volano in Trentino.

The fire spread throughout the pylon with flames 25/30 metres high. Not far away was written “Freedom for the anarchists of the Op. Scripta Manent”. Already in April 2011 the repeater had been hit by an attack of this kind. Volano and surroundings remained without phone coverage or with a very weak signal for a good part of the day.

April - July 2018, reports on the “Scripta Manent” trial

After the hearing of winter 2008, mainly reports on specific alleged facts against the accused and the outline of the accusatory scheme on the crime of association according to the Digos of Turin, from 8th April to 16th May some ROS officers from Perugia – Rossi, Mencarelli, Simeon, Mariucci, Passeri – paraded themselves, some of whom are still in service there, others transferred to similar offices elsewhere in the country, to relate on the ‘Ardire’ investigation, later included in Scripta Manent, with digressions and providential amnesia on other investigations and files connected to anti-anarchist monitoring activity starting from so called operation Brushwood to operation Shadow, mainly through telematic, telephone, environmental interceptions and control of letters.

Mencarelli exposed his analysis on the blog Culmine and on relations between anarchists mainly through letters to and from prison: ‘yes, but I can’t produce any actual data’ could be the symbolic sentence of his statement as he was trying to attribute participation in another paper to an editor of Culmine; or ‘they knew each other because of their hatred of Benetton’ as he had to demonstrate that two defendants knew each other, that is to say both had been investigated for participating in initiatives against the Treviso landowners in solidarity with the Mapuche people.

Simeon described Ardire as ‘derivation’ of Shadow, following the monitoring of comrades on remand for the previous operation carried out by Perugia ROS/public prosecutor Comodi through controls on letters and audio-video recordings in the visiting hall of the prison of Alessandria, drawing special attention to the anarchist prisoners’ hunger strike in memory of Mauricio Morales in 2009 and to the actions claimed by Sisters in Arms – FAI of the same period against the Bocconi university and other targets.

The ROS carabinieri officer practically reiterated the accusatory thesis of Ardire, with the well-worn model of the double level, skipping over the fact that this thesis had already failed miserably with the Ardire prison releases, in respect to both article 270bis and the specific charges and the filing away by Milan prosecutors (with whom the same Perugia ROS had collaborated after the jurisdiction was moved from Perugia to Milano) and also passing over the final sentence of operation Shadow (where the charge of association was dropped in the first grade trial whereas the charge of instigation was proposed again at the appeal trial and confirmed by the court of cassation).

Still in May, the Turin Digos officer Di Gregoli continuing to expose charges that anyone can read by surfing the web, that is to say by ‘consulting open sources’, gave an overview on the number of attacks carried out by FAI/FRI in Italy, 52 according to open sources, and a larger number abroad taken from a map published in various international counter-information sites.

He went on to expose the controls exercised on the series of meetings ‘Heads Held High’ and on the successive editors of Croce Nera Anarchica – described as a ‘magazine of the association’, a ‘means of communication of the association’ - on the blog and prisoners’ fund and also on the editors’ movements and acquaintances.

At the end of May the ROS officers Moriconi, Corradetti, Panebianco and D’Enrico of Naples exposed the ‘fruit’ of their monitoring activity on anarchist milieus from 2012, in particular operations Evolution and Evolution II, and passing over other investigations that the same office was inflicting on anarchist comrades in the Campania region. As usual they dwelt on web counter-information and relations of solidarity with prisoners: communication via email, publication of news, communiques and claims, interspersed with detailed reports on ‘significant’ events such as … concerts and benefit T-shirt printing, presentations of meetings and a litany of anarchists’ names, be they defendants or not, and the relations between the latter.

The narration of insignificant daily episodes (very similar between ROS and Digos) is mixed with sparks of genius such as that of considering it particularly significant to declare ‘solidarity and complicity’ instead of a more traditional ‘solidarity’ or that of hypothesizing an anarchist ‘horizontal compartmentation’ instead of a ‘vertical compartmentation’ in Red Brigades-style.

The same report contains the modalities of telematic interceptions used against RadioAzione – blog and web radio – with Trojan, introduced through ADSL, software renamed Agent Elena with their cop imagination. A laptop becomes an environmental microchip to intercept off-air comments during radio live recordings (with also the judges’ authorization to make video recordings when the portable webcam was activated) and to allow the acquisition of emails, editorial activity and image searches through keylogger (software that can record everything being tapped on a keyboard) and snapshot (screen photos in succession) in closed time progression in order to give account of additions and corrections at short intervals.

In June the Pescara Digos officer Palazzo related his presence, the duration and frequentations of the defendants in Pescara in August 2012 (on the beach, in bars, at a fun park), on trips, relations and presence at the Adinolfi trial again through stalking backed by environmental microphones and cameras placed outside house and workplace entrances so as to put relations already known about for years under the magnifying glass, occasional acquaintances, presentations and distributions of CNA (of which, strangely, the Turin Digos say they didn’t get the editors’ telematic interceptions).

At the 4th July hearing, the lab technician responsible for graphic analysis of the Parma’s RIS, Orienti, was summoned to confirm the technical report written at the time of the events concerning handwritten labels and stencilled texts of the incendiary/explosive parcels in Chiamparino, Coema and Torino Cronaca: this report states that according to the examination the handwriting derives from tracing and therefore, just like pencil writing, cannot be attributed to anyone, which contradicts the prosecutors’ ostentatious graphic experts’ reports.

At the 5th July hearing an IT expert summoned by defence lawyers explained the way of functioning of networks, sub-networks and search engines and the consequent modalities and possibilities of acquiring internet documents after a lapse of time. This contradicted the arbitrary attributions and reconstructions of the prosecutors, several years later.

Still on 5th July a geneticist consultant for the defence highlighted the endless irregularities, gaps and errors in the reports drawn up in 2005 and 2012 on DNA traces found on the handles of a bag containing the unexploded device against Parma RIS in 2005: mainly a mixed, contaminated and scant DNA trace found in 2005, subsequently gathered and concentrated following a lab procedure considered no longer reliable and with tests that cannot be repeated because the trace found at the time was consumed in the first examination; errors that were also detected in a later examination in 2012 on the reliability of examination instruments: ‘if you can’t use software properly it will tell you what you want to hear’, the consultant declared in order to explain the adaptability of data input.

The court demanded a fresh DNA examination, which will be conferred on 12th September, when the trial starts again in the autumn.

* The pieces in inverted comas are quotations from transcripts.

More precisions about the keylogger found in Italy - February 4, 2019

In october 2018, an article was published on several websites about a keylogger surveillance software found in Italy on a computer, and installed by cops. This article can be read in various languages:

(english) actforfree.nostate.net

(italian) anarhija.info

(french) attaque.noblogs.org

Although this example of surveillance is rather outside our subject (we want to limit ourselves to studying physical surveillance devices, as mentionned in our call for contributions), we found it interesting to talk about it anyway.

We received by email precisions concerning this surveillance software, which explain some things that were left unexplained by the article from october 2018. We summarize below the new information. This information should be treated with caution, considering that the surveillance software couldn’t be analyzed properly (the hard disk of the computer infected by the surveillance software was erased after the software was found).

The operating system of the infected computer was Windows.

The software was installed remotely through Internet. It stayed on the computer for four years. When the computer was re-installed/formatted, the surveillance software was installed again remotely through Internet.

Apparently, the software needed a constant Internet connection to spy and send the collected informations. It wasn’t capable of saving the data locally to send them later.

The software was able to record the text typed on the keyboard, to take periodic screenshots and, depending on the security measures on the computer, to record communications sent and received (visited web pages, etc).

The presence of the software was discovered thanks to investigation files.

The software was supplied to the carabineri (italian cops) by the italian company Neotronic. Below, an extract of the presentation of the software by Neotronic, translated to english :

It should be noted that the NID system (Neotronic Internet Decoder) is able to obtain in clear all the communications sent/received by the targeted user, not protected by unassailable cryptographic techniques. If in the course of the wiretapping encrypted communications emerge (such as Black Berry communications in encrypted mode, Skype, encrypted VoIP, HTTPS web pages, etc.), it is possible to make the content of such communications interpretable, after evaluation of the security measures taken by the user (firewall, antivirus, anti-malware, etc.) and of the applications used, through the use of our IT agent Enhanced Law Enforcement Neotronic Agent (ELENA), which can also provide the periodic snapshot of the desktop of the target computer, and the text typed on the keyboard connected to the computer used by the target user (including encrypted mail).

desoreillesetdesyeux.

Presence in court in solidarity with those on trial for Scripta Manent

11TH FEBRUARY 2019, 9AM
SOLIDARITY PRESENCE IN COURT AT THE SCRIPTA MANENT TRIAL

The first phase of the Scripta Manent trial, following which seven comrades have been locked up in pre-trial detention for over two years, will come to an end in the early months of 2019, with a first-grade sentence. The investigation refers to a string of attacks claimed by FAI and FAI/ FRI, which occurred between 2003 and 2012 against the armed forces (police officers, carabinieri barracks, carabinieri training centres and RIS), statesmen (mayors, a minister of the interior), journalists, firms involved in migrants’ detention centres maintenance and the director of a migrants’ detention centre. The wounding of engineer Adinolfi, executive manager of Ansaldo Nucleare, is also part of the investigation, an event that had already been dealt with in a trial and had been claimed by the Olga Nucleus FAI/FRI, namely Nicola and Alfredo, in prison since 2012.

At various levels there’s also the charge of creating and participating in a subversive association (article 270bis), charges related to specific crimes (article 280) and charges of instigation to commit crime and defending crimes (article 414) because of articles, sites, blogs and anarchist editorial projects.

The trial distinguished itself for the use it made of debates within the anarchist movement in an orchestrated game of interpretations and differentiations, which the prosecutor in charge tried to use against the anarchists themselves, as the former is seeking to sentence our comrades and put the last twenty years of the history of anarchism and anarchist solidarity on trial.

In fact, all demonstrations of solidarity expressed on websites, pamphlets, journals and posters continue to be added to the court papers. For our part we can only reiterate our support to the comrades on trial and the practices that they are accused of; the history of the anarchist movement now in the docks is the history of all of us.

We express our solidarity with those on trial and our anger and disgust at all inquisitors!

For all these reasons we’ll be present in court during Sparagna’s final speech, so as to highlight our hatred of him and all repressive apparatuses and our closeness to those on trial.

FREEDOM FOR ANNA, MARCO, SANDRO, DANILO, VALENTINA, ALFREDO AND NICOLA

11TH FEBRUARY 9AM
BUNKER COURT LE VALLETTE PRISON, TURIN

CSA Kavarna, Cremona - Tattoo Circus

Benefit for those caught up in operation Scripta Manent

Tattoo Circus is a solidarity initiative that takes place in various anarchist places; its aim is to support some prisoners and paths of struggle and resistance to repression.

No tattooist, piercer, performer or whoever they might be earns a single cent for themselves.

FRIDAY 22ND FEBRUARY

Aperitifs with dj set old school rap by DJ SoulSolgia from 8pm, alongside tattoos and 2 piercings.

SATURDAY 23RD FEBRUARY

From 10:30am: non-stop tattoos, piercing and massage!

8pm – Updates and discussions on operation Scripta Manent

10pm – Discussion on body suspension art with Bloody Cirkus-Fuckin’ Bloody Steel with possibility to try on the spot and on oneself… SUSPEND YOURSELF!!!

(If you’re really interested in trying to suspend yourself, due to organizational issues, we ask you to write to f.bloodysteel@gmail.com ) 11pm – Obscene show

12am – Body suspension show with Bloody Cirkus-Fuckin’ Bloody Steel Followed by

:: DJ SET ::

Dla_Valley Crew

Freaky Boy_Uncontrolled Beat

Giordi_Crustek

__Xana_NPK

:: VISUAL ARTS ::

GopiKa & Shila Ji

:: SOUND SYSTEM & LIGHTS POWERED BY SabotaZ Crew

:: JUGGLERS, SELF-PRODUCTION AND DISTRO STALLS ARE INVITED… WRITE TO US!::

:: NO SNITCHES – NO NAZI/FASCISTS – NO COPS – NO SEXISTS ::

CSA Kavarna, via Maffi, Cremona

About the Repression Against Anarchists in Italy

February 23, 2019

Unfortunately, Italy has a long history of repressive operations against anarchists.

Since Operation Marini in 90s, the waves of repression against comrades, which brought into jail many people with charges of terrorism or criminal association, were countless. Just to name a few of the biggest repressive operations: Cervantes, Croce Nera, Ardire, Mangiafuoco, Thor, Ixodidae, Nottetempo, Fuoriluogo… These operations usually lead to several house raids in all Italy and to the arrest of several comrades who spend 1 or 2 years in pre-trial detention. Then they face trials with charges of ‘association’ and usually they are also accused of several direct actions for which the inquisitors never found any responsible. Sometime the public engagement of these comrades in the anarchist struggle and their open expression of anarchist ideas (direct actions support, prisoners solidarity, running an anarchist magazine or website and so on) is the only evidence that the prosecutors bring into the court. For this reason, in the majority of the cases all the accused are later acquitted at the trial, but only after having spent many months or years in prison.

Besides these huge operations, there is a constant small-scale repression against local anarchist groups which are expecially active on the territory, for example with struggles against police repression, evictions, detention centres for migrants, jails, gentrification, corporate interests… In these cases anarchists are constantly repressed with recurring trials and spend much of their time going in and out of prison, house arrest or other restrictions of their freedom. This kind of police strategy of trying to burn out comrades with the aim of destroying the local anarchist group happens in many cities but since many years has been expecially strong in Torino.

Since it is impossible to relate about all the trials and repression going on, with this text we concentrate on three main repressive operations for which so many of our comrades are currently being held in prison: operation Scripta Manent, operation Panico in Firenze and the latest one, operation Scintilla in Torino.

OPERATION SCRIPTA MANENT

Operation Scripta Manent stroke in September 2016 with a series of house raids and arrests in all Italy. 32 comrades were accused of terroristic association and of some specific direct actions; seven of them are transferred to jail.

The investigation refers to a string of attacks claimed by FAI and FAI/ FRI, which occurred between 2003 and 2012 against the armed forces (police officers, carabinieri barracks, carabinieri training centres and RIS), statesmen (mayors, a minister of the interior), journalists, firms involved in migrants’ detention centres maintenance and the director of a migrants’ detention centre. The wounding of engineer Adinolfi, executive manager of Ansaldo Nucleare, is also part of the investigation, an event that had already been dealt with in a trial and had been claimed by the Olga Nucleus FAI/FRI, namely Nicola and Alfredo, in prison since 2012 (they are also accused in this trial).

At various levels there’s also the charge of creating and participating in a subversive association (article 270bis), charges related to specific crimes (article 280) and charges of instigation to commit crime and defending crimes (article 414) because of articles, sites, blogs and anarchist editorial projects – among which an Anarchist Black Cross prisoners support group.

After more than two years, six of them are still held in jail in pre-trial detention while one is on house arrest. Because of the terrorist charge, they are held in special high-security wings inside the prisons where they are kept isolated from the rest of the prisoners and they suffer many restrictions on their mail and visits.

The Scripta Manent trial, which began in June 2017, concerns 40 years’ history of the anarchist movement. The linchpin of the accusatory theorem of this inquest is based on the distinction between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ anarchists and the repression’s instrumental interpretation of the debate within the anarchist movement. The trial distinguished itself for the use it made of debates within the anarchist movement in an orchestrated game of interpretations and differentiations, which the prosecutor in charge tried to use against the anarchists themselves, as the former is seeking to sentence our comrades and put the last twenty years of the history of anarchism and anarchist solidarity on trial. In fact, all demonstrations of solidarity expressed on websites, pamphlets, journals and posters continue to be added to the court papers.

The first part of the trial is due to end in the early months of 2019, with the first-grade sentence.

SCRIPTA MANENT

Alfredo Cospito
Nicola Gai
Danilo Cremonese
Alessandro Mercogliano
C.C. Via Arginone, 327 – 44122 Ferrara, Italy

Marco Bisesti
C.C. San Michele – Strada Casale, 50/A – 15121 Alessandria (AL), Italy

Anna Beniamino
C.C. di Rebibbia – Via Bartolo Longo 92 – 00156 Roma, Italy

Text read in solidarity to anarchists under trial following Scripta Manent operation

On Monday 11 February in the bunker hall of the Turin prison a large group of comrades expressed their solidarity with the anarchists on trial following the “Scripta manent” operation (6.09.2016). Roberto Sparagna (the public prosecutor in the trial) was unable to take a word to formulate his indictment. After several slogans and the reading of the following text, the Court interrupted the hearing. The courtroom was evicted through the intervention of the riot squads. During the protest, solidarity was expressed to all the anarchists arrested and on trial during this period, following the repressive operations “Scripta manent”, “Panico” and “Scintilla”, and against the eviction of Asilo Occupato in Turin.

Freedom for all prisoners! Long live anarchy! Below the text:

Twenty years of history of anarchism are being impeached here.

We are not charged, but this is our history and our revolutionary path. And it is precisely this path that the practices currently under trial belong to.

We are all involved and the executioners of the state can neither define nor understand our ideas and our lives.

Solidarity with anarchist and revolutionary prisoners! Not a step back, Always Headed Up.

“Firmly and without compromise towards our goal”. For Anarchy!

Actions in solidarity

Pinerolo : Solidarity attack

Round Robin /Thursday 21 February 2019

During the night we attacked the Poste de Pinerolo office [near Turin] with hammers as a gesture of solidarity and complicity with the anarchists arrested in Turin and Trentino and with the comrades imprisoned for the Florence affair and operation Scripta Manent.

Salvini hatchet man – Asilo is everywhere

Action in solidarity in Cremona

Round Robin / Sunday 24 February 2019

Following the arrests and raids in Trentino we put an optic fibre cabinet out of use during the night. Silence the techno-world to let the living flesh scream. Also in solidarity with the comrades in Turin, the comrade of Fermento, the prisoners of operation Scripta Manent and Panico. In the fog of Cremona we don’t swallow the pill of repression either.

Rome, Italy : Enijoy cars under attack

ENI kills and pollutes in Italy and abroad. In the night between 26th and 27th February 3 incendiary devices were left in 3 enijoy cars.

Solidarity with all imprisoned anarchists.

* Translation note: ENJOY is a ‘sustainable’ vehicle sharing company run by energy company ENI and public transport operator Trenitalia

Underground Hip Hop Festival, benefit for anarchist prisoners (28-29-30/03/2019) Bencivegna Squat

NO FASCISTS NO COPS NO SEXIST LYRICS OR ATTITUDES
Free donation entry

Friday
8pm Pizzas
Followed by concerts: PEGGIOKLASSE, MC INGANNO, SHILI E NOBRIDGE, COMA, SERPE IN SENO, NO CHAPPY? BOURGEOISE!, F.A.M.E., MOSKELLA

Saturday
2pm GRAFFITI JAM
6pm FREESTYLE JAM mics and beatmakers all invited 8pm Pizzas
Followed by concerts: EMCEE ‘O Zì, SILLA MANDRIA, 100# POSSE, PREALPI ONDA CLANDESTINA, FUTTA, DJ QVP + LABORATORIO HIP HOP METICCIO + BRADERS, KATO + INZU (EQ-25), SECCO, TOT0’ NASTY+ ANTOUCH+ DJ APU, BEATBOXERS (FRANK VENUS & SATANA)

Sunday
Wild hip hop session outside the female unit of the Rebibbia prison 3pm sharp

ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO SUPPORT THOSE IMPRISONED AND INVESTIGATED FOLLOWING THE REPRESSIVE OPERATIONS ‘SCRIPTA MANENT’ AND ‘PANICO’

(Via Bencivenga 15 – Rome / bus 90, 60, 211, 84, N4)

Paris, France: 3 Postal Vehicles Torched by Anarchists

On the night of Monday 22nd to Tuesday, April 23rd, three vans of the Post Office were torched in rue e la Chine in Paris.

The role of the Post Office in this society, at the intersection of the public sector and capital, is crucial and is often forgotten. That is why it was targeted, with the perspective of a permanent anti-authoritarian conflictuality against the institutional, economic and ideological mechanisms of this world.

A negation of this society, which strives to be international via action and solidarity with comrades, has fallen into the net of repression.

A thought for the anarchists locked up in Italy, especially those recently convicted for Operation Scripta Manent.

“I declare myself to be anti-authoritarian, individualistic, for the insurrection, for the destruction of this filthy and vile world and for the destruction of State Capital! Always your enemy! For Anarchy!”[12]

P.M. requests for sentencing March 7, 2019

The Turin Public prosecutor Roberto Maria Sparagna made the following requests for sentencing of those accused in the ‘Scripta Manent’ trial:

Alfredo Cospito: 30 years Anna Beniamino: 29 years

Gioacchino Somma: 7 years and 6 months

Valentina Speziale, Marco Bisesti, Pasquale Valitutti, Omar Nioi, Erika Preden, Alessandro Mercogliano, Daniele, Stefano, Claudia, Sergio: 6 years and 6 months

Alessandro A. , Francesca G.: 8 years Nicola Gai: 10 years

Danilo Cremonese: 10 years

Patrizia Marino: 7 years and 3 months Carlo Tesseri: 8 years and 3 months

Gabriel Pombo Da Silva, Stefano Fosco, Elisa Di Bernardo: 7 years For none any extenuating circumstances. No contested recidivism.

March 18 Gioacchino Somma’s final declaration to the court of the trial of ”Scripta Manent”

Today, two years since the beginning of this trial in which I am accused along with the others, my anarchist comrades, brothers and sisters, and after letting this public prosecutor with an unsurprisingly sick imagination talk, I reiterate all the more forcefully that I am anarchist, individualist and for insurrection.

Having read thousands of pages of court papers written by various Neapolitan and Turin prosecutors, I am now even more convinced that sometimes it’s better to be in judicial trouble than to think the way you do.

I stick closely to my ideas that you don’t like because are for the destruction of everything that has to do with your miserable world.

If it had been up to me, I wouldn’t have been born at all, but others decided for me so I have no other choice than to be in this world my own way. I shall never belong to the herd that you assign a path for grazing to…

I am different, I prefer to elude paths and go with the wolves. Guilty or innocent?

No, thanks. I leave this lurid trick to you.

I am anarchist so I will always be your enemy!

I am with my brothers and sisters whom you are now keeping locked up in your State concentration camps.

I stand in solidarity and complicity with Alfredo, Nicola, Alessandro, Danilo, Marco, Anna, Valentina and all the anarchist comrades imprisoned for other inquests all over the world… from South America to Greece!

It won’t be the threat of a sentence hovering on my head to make me take a distance from them.

It hurt not to be able to write to them these past two years, but I had decided not to give any more pearls to the pigs… and let it be clear that the pigs are not my imprisoned brothers and sisters but those who followed me for six years; those who ordered a bug to be placed in my bedroom and those who listened to everything that went on in my bedroom.

Luckily I had covered the eyes of your dear motherfucking ‘Agente Elena’, which still vegetates inside my computer. I only hope I just gave you ‘wanking’ material and nothing else…

I consider it a compliment to be defined a ‘terrorist’ by a State that through its armed wing kills in its police stations, barracks and prisons; a State that has always been the institutional face of the Mafia, the Camorra, the ‘Ndrangheta and the Sacra Corona Unita, as well as the perpetrator of massacres in the streets, trains, planes and recently has been sinking boats full of people escaping from their homelands because of the wars that the west has brought to their countries.

Well, yes, I want to subvert all this!

As I declared at the beginning of the trial, I claim as mine and only mine the project of Radio Azione on whose website has been published everything that I feel myself to be in affinity, complicity and solidarity.

I claim the texts signed ‘Radio Azione’ as texts written by me, reaffirming that I still think now what I thought at the time. I claim every single word I have said on the radio.

I claim wanting to translate claims of direct actions carried out by anarchist comrades all over the world. Because I am for direct action!

I claim having translated texts of anarchist comrades locked up in the concentration camps all over the world.

I claim having supported, collaborated with and organized initiatives for Croce Nera Anarchica.

I claim always having supported imprisoned comrades including through initiatives aimed at their economic support.

I claim being antiauthoritarian, individualist, for insurrection and the destruction of this lurid and fetid existent and of the State-Capital!

Forever your enemy! For Anarchy!

Free and dangerous by Elisa and Gabriel

Ardire, Scripta Manent, Operation Buyo … Do they mean anything to you? These are only a few of the police judicial “operations” that our “clan” has lived on its own skin for being and remaining anarchists to the extreme consequence.We are a nomadic clan that goes from country to country in search of accomplices who practice anarchism without asking for approval or consensus, who act without worrying about the “politically correct” discourse (so much in vogue in our times) that haunts our little shops today. We are also not interested in “aesthetics”, but “ethics”, the practical, the real…

We are looking for an anarchism that dirties our hands, keeps us awake and always on guard (as opposed to any complacency); this anarchism that is not liked by and disturbs the servants of the State, who have not abandoned their efforts to imprison us.

It is not easy to go from one place to another. It’s even more difficult along with our daughter, that little beauty we called Iraultza, and a canine companion that we will never fail to take with us, because she is an integral part of our clan.

Apparently, the Spanish State has not stopped wanting to put me in prison for a “residual sentence” that exists only in its putrid mind and its disgusting papers.

That being how things are, we have decided to live in the shadows, bringing our invisible contribution to all the projects that are of interest to us and with which we feel complicit.

We express all our subversive solidarity for the DESERVING comrades on trial in Italy and the world. We have no declarations to make in the courts of the “gowned” because we don’t give a shit about their theatres and farces, their accusations and acquittals.

The best way to propagate Anarchy is to live it intensely, not by representing it. We are not for farce or comedy.

There will be no more “communiques” from our clan: We are free and we are dangerous.

For Anarchy!

New Solidarity Card for ”Scripta Manent”

January 28, 2019

Given the pace of court appointments, legal fees are increasingly high and, therefore, we must renew the invitation to those who wish to contribute to make payments to the CNA account.

There has been a change in the postepay card number for paying money in support of the comrades on trial for operation ”Scripta Manent”: 5333 1710 7777 2446

Those who prefer to make a bank transfer can contact us through cassamanent@tutanota.com to get the IBAN details and the name on the card.

We are taking this opportunity to ask comrades to make an effort as we are about to face the last stages of the trial and more legal expenses need to be faced.

Five comrades sentenced - 24/4/2019

A first instance sentence was issued in the trial that began in June 2017 regarding the “Scripta manent” operation, which on September 6, 2016 led to the arrest of five anarchist comrades and the notification of pretrial detention to two other imprisoned anarchist comrades (Alfredo and Nicola). The requests for sentences proposed by the public prosecutor R. Sparagna for 22 accused anarchist comrades exceeded 200 years.

On April 24th the sentences were issued, as reported in Croce Nera Anarchica website:

Anarchist comrades sentenced:

Alfredo Cospito 20 years

Anna Beniamino 17 years

Nicola Gai 9 years

Alessandro Mercogliano 5 years

Marco Bisesti 5 years

The other accused were acquitted.

HEALTH IS IN YOU!

Addresses of imprisoned comrades

ALFREDO COSPITO

Casa Circondariale di Ferrara Via Arginone, 327 – 44122 Ferrara, Italy

ANNA BENIAMINO

C. C. de L’Aquila via Amiternina 3

Località Costarelle di Preturo 67100 L’Aquila, Italy

NICOLA GAI

Casa Circondariale di Ferrara Via Arginone, 327 – 44122 Ferrara, Italy

ALESSANDRO MERCOGLIANO

Casa Circondariale di Ferrara Via Arginone, 327 – 44122 Ferrara, Italy

MARCO BISESTI

Casa Circondariale

Strada Statale per casale, 50/A - 15121 Alessandria (AL), Italy

Miserable wretches!

Everything was ready from the morning: journalists and live TV on the national channel…

A miserable judge in Turin, Roberto Sparagna, left no stone unturned in putting pressure on a gang of equally miserable individuals (jury led by judge Alessandra Salvadori).

A poor madman in search of fame after having moved from the anti-mafia prosecution to the terrorism one, he succeeded where other miserable colleagues of his had failed for decades: subversive association for the purposes of terrorism.

Already I see him in a few days’ time sitting on the Vespa armchairs in “Porta a Porta” [long-standing populist TV news show], along with some failed criminologist spouting off about anarchism and how it is divided into groups, smaller groups, good and bad and his heroic deeds against the F.A.I.-F.R.I.

I would like to remind the miserable deputy prosecutor that despite the high sentences you’ve obtained against our comrades, brothers and sisters Alfredo, Nicola, Anna, Marco e Alessandro, you have only won a small battle… the war against the State and miserable wretches like yourself will be a long one.

I am aware that these few lines of mine will end up adding to another pile of shit that you’ll vomit on the next judicial proceedings in the appeal court, but that’s not my problem…

Never think that I will lose any sleep with your threats because your fellow inquisitors have already tried in the past, and if you talk about me today it means that I am still standing and not backing off one millimetre. I will also continue to do what I do best: take your disgusting plan and turn it against you.

You will never see Alfredo, Nicola, Anna, Marco e Alessandro buried in your dungeons. They are with us every day, hour, minutes and seconds, and we will never fail to make them feel our warmth, our solidarity and complicity until we have them with us again.

This goes for them and many other anarchist comrades imprisoned in the jails all over the world.

This goes until nothing remains of your institutions and prisons but ashes. Forever your enemy!

For the insurrection, for Anarchy.

Chronicles of a Journey and Landing in the Kingdom of L’Aquila

Early wake-up call Saturday 6th April: 3 of us are transferred to L’Aquila from the AS2 section (high security) in Rebibbia prison in Rome. In practice the AS2 section in Rebibbia was shut down in the days following our transfer and may have been converted into an AS3 section given the overcrowded conditions for prisoners accused and/or convicted of criminal conspiracy - Art. 416 of the Italian penal code (a similar thing happened in March 2017 when the entire female AS2 section of Latina prison – communists and anarchists – was moved to Rebibbia and later converted into an AS3 section).

Currently, we are in the AS2 section of the Abruzzo region which now holds the sad record of being the only female high security section in Italy classed as AS2. It’s a very small section comprising four single cells and is known as the “sezione gialla” [“yellow section”]. The space was set up and used in the past as a female 41bis section [41bis is the hard prison regime set up in Italy in the early 90s] and is one that now

– other than us “new arrivals” (forgive the excesses of inmate terminology but there you go) – also holds a muslim prisoner classed as AS2 who, following the transfer of two other prisoners held in the same section in February, spent more than 20 days in isolation. We can therefore assume that our arrival helped the DAP [Italian department of prison administration] avoid any embarrassment regarding the conditions of her detention.

From the very beginning the GOM’s [special unit used in 41bis sections] militaristic and ridiculous management of the section was evident (they are the ones managing it here) as were their attempts to apply the rigour and control typical of the 41bis regime. In any case, this prison has male and female 41bis sections (where the only female communist prisoner classed as 41bis has been buried alive here for years) a REMS section [“Residences for the implementation of safety measures” which replaced the psychiatric prison hospitals established in the 70s], AS3 sections, our AS2 section and a “regular security” section with around 20 prisoners who work as labourers seeing as the rest of the prison is heavily guarded. The prison management’s first move was an emphatic attempt to apply article 18 of the Italian penitentiary regulation in order to censor mail and news, as explained to us by an inspired GOM inspector and justified by the AS2 section regulations which automatically include censorship (an issue that doesn’t fall under the jurisdiction of the prison but of the local judicial authority assigned to each of us), going as far as to consider applying the 41bis regime to some of us. The justifications provided reflect (pathological) delusions of omnipotence and of power that involve the entire chain of command, from the prison director to the last officer.

After the effective block on incoming and outgoing post in the first week and in the context of discussions with uniforms of every kind and rank, it emerged that L’Aquila prison had gone above and beyond the call of duty and had asked the previously mentioned judicial authorities to censor newspapers “in order to avoid contact with criminal areas of [geographic] origin” and to censor post given the alert of the “upper echelons of the DAP to increase the control and monitoring of correspondence for the prisoner in question, particularly at this historic moment in which Europe is embroiled in a series of terrorist attacks”: basically, censorship can be applied both to post that is sent from respective areas of geographic origin as well as from anywhere else. Following requests for further clarification, their masterpiece of logic was revealed: it was a simple pre-printed request. Too bad that the criteria for applying the censorship are those used in the 41bis regime, which, among other things, include the actual cutting-out of newspaper articles, which must be cleansed of any dangerous news.

In the days that followed, other practices that are typical of 41bis regime continued to emerge and the constant objection to them prompted a series of disciplinary reports, a popular local practice: we were given 9 in the first week and 6 in the second, for futile reasons and arbitrary, if not imaginary interpretations. These include: the obsessive use of metal-detectors every time we enter and exit our cells, from our outdoor time to our social time, not to mention the times we go for showers – we’ve counted around 12 to 16 times; the ban on CDs and CD players to listen to music (they are only allowed for the mysterious and unclear purposes of “study”): the number of books allowed in the cells which is set at 4, with the addition of the Quran or another religious text and the Italian Penal Code (when asked about substituting religious or legal books with something a little more appropriate…the GOM display a poor sense of humour); the limited items of clothing allowed in the cells, as well as the few other basic necessities and goods permitted, are kept in a small external cabinet which is accessed under the visual control of the guards who count everything with their special chart; the inability to bring pen and paper outdoors; order, control, the GOM’s count – they meticulously count everything and update their appropriate lists for all the things kept in the cells and in the storage room which are then verified during the two weekly searches.

Outdoor time is in a small space (8x10 meters) and so-called “social time” is a bad joke which, all at the same time and in the same barren room (an old visiting room), includes social activities (only one table with 4 chairs), a gym (only one exercise bike) and a place to pray. The breakdown of the imposed daily routine (7am cell doors open, 7.15am post collection, 7.30am breakfast trolley, 8.00am cell bars checked, 9-11am outdoor time, 11.30am food, 12/1pm eating together, 1-3pm social time, 3pm cell bars checked, 3.30-5.30pm outdoor time, 5.30pm food) along with almost constant direct visual control because the cell door slot must be kept open until 8pm - other than for an hour and a half after lunch during which it can be kept slightly closed - are typical of a barracks-type prison.

Basically, if the AS2 section doesn’t appear to have actual regulations, it has in practice adopted the norms of a 41bis section with the accompanying pressures, obviously without being called as such (the only internal regulations in this cage date back to 2002, a time when AS2 sections hadn’t even been established yet), with only some changes such as, for example, being able to keep a camping cooker in the cells even after 8pm or sharing food at lunch.

As for life together inside, after a few days “blasphemy” or rather anarchist atheism and religion emerged as being quite incompatible for the muslim prisoner who asked to be transferred due to “incompatibility”. For the moment, the management have dealt with this by applying a particularly obnoxious and ridiculous ban on meeting with other prisoners which we are trying to counter, given the small size of the section and the resulting isolation. The DAP’s attempts at prison experimentation seem to be wavering considering the inability to manage the situation, as admitted by the local guards themselves.

Another interesting fact: due to their inability to enforce censorship, at least for those who didn’t yet have it, management gave orders to confiscate the apparently much-feared book “Cooking in Maximum Security”. Which begs the question what will the legal authority that holds “jurisdiction” do.

The brutal stupidity of the total institution of prison is not surprising, particularly when its obtuseness manifests itself so clearly and blatantly.

The thing we have however been able to see for ourselves is how it is always useful to shout things out loud to their faces.

From the AS2 in Aquila

About the sentence in the “Scripta Manent” trial

On April 24, the Turin Court of Assizes issued the first instance sentence for the “Scripta Manent” trial (which followed the repressive operation in which five comrades were arrested on September 6, 2016, and two others received notification of pre-trial detention while they were already in prison for the attack against Roberto Adinolfi of May 7, 2012).

Alfredo Cospito was sentenced to 20 years, held responsible for the possession and transport of explosives in relation to the bomb at the Parco Ducale at the Parma RIS (“special investigation department” of Carabinieri) of 24 October 2005 (acquitted of the charge of attack as “crime impossible” because the switch of the bomb was off), of the explosive

envelope sent to the then mayor of Bologna Cofferati in 2 November 2005 (convicted of the bombing plus “possession and transportation of explosives”), of attacks with multiple explosive devices at the Carabinieri school of Fossano in June 2, 2006, and in the Crocetta

district in Turin in 7 March 2007 (crime of “massacre aggravated by the fact that the goal would have been the police” and acquitted of the aggravating circumstance of political motivation), of sending explosive packages to the then mayor of Turin (Chiamparino), to the editor of the newspaper “Torino Cronaca” (Giuseppe Fossati) and to COEMA Edilità

(company involved in the restructuring of the CIE, “identification and expulsion centre” for migrants) in July 2006. He is also indicated as promoter of the FAI (Federazione Anarchica Informale), recognized as a “subversive association with purposes of terrorism”. The aggravating circumstance of transnationality has fallen.

Anna Beniamino was sentenced to 17 years for the Crocetta and Fossano bombs (2006 and 2007) and for the explosive packets of July 2006 (the same three for which Alfredo was sentenced), as well as for “subversive association with terrorist purposes” as promoter of the FAI.

Nicola Gai was sentenced to 9 years for “subversive association with terrorist purposes”.

Marco Bisesti and Alessandro Mercogliano were sentenced to 5 years for participation in a “subversive association with terrorist purposes”.

All the other defendants were acquitted (for all 23 defendants the charge was “subversive association with the purpose of terrorism and subversion of the democratic order” and for some comrades also “instigation to commit a crime” and “terrorist attack”). All those condemned remain in prison, while Danilo has been released from prison and Valentina leaves the house arrest (to which she had been transferred from Rebibbia prison in Rome in December 2017).

The court has 90 days from April 24 to write the reasons for the sentence.

Anarchist comrade Marco Bisesti is in isolation since May 6th, 2019:

We learn that Marco Bisesti began serving 10 days of isolation from May 6th. This due to a verbal argument that occurred in mid-April with a guard, who thought of using the hydrant against an inmate in solitary confinement on the floor below the cell where Marco is locked up.

Freedom for all!

[1] Turin’s prosecutors have produced several judicial proceedings based on this framework in the last two years, which resulted both in the attempts to put 3 eco anarchists who had previously been sentenced in Switzerland for attempted sabotage to IBM, on trial yet again for article 270bis and to investigate and charge anarchists engaged in a solidarity fund for prisoners, with raids and warrants, sing the same article 270bis.

[2] Pagine in Rivolta was published under the subtitle ‘revolutionary anarchist periodical’ from 1997 to 2002, with 14 issues that had a variable circulation that reached one thousand copies. It contained articles of analysis and critique of the anarchist movement, chronologies of direct actions, claims, prisoners’ lists and news on repression.

[3] [The first of the Black Cross series in the Italian language was the historical version published from 1969 to 1973 in support of Spanish anti-Francoists, with the additional involvement of Pino Pinelli and Stuart Christie’s Anarchist Black Cross.] The CNA bulletin targeted by repression is the one published from 2001 to 2005, and today’s CNA published since 2014 with a blog and a journal. The editors of Croce Nera Anarchica of 2001/2005 were the targets of the 2005 ‘Operation Croce Nera’, a 270bis operation, which led to the arrest of seven comrades that led to no avail, 3 of whom are among those investigated within Scripta Manent.

[4] KNO3 came out in 2008 as a single issue subtitled ‘revolutionary anarchist paper’. In 2008 it was the object of a 270bis investigation, ‘Operation Shadow’, led by Perugia’s prosecutor Emanuela Comodi, in collaboration with the ROS carabinieri forces, in which the associative crime was dropped during the first degree trial. In 2015 the appeal trial resulted in a sentence against A.C. and A.B., whilst a third comrade was put under investigation for article 302 with the aggravating circumstance of terrorism linked to articles published in KNO3; other comrades were sentenced for the sabotage of a railway track and for car theft.

[5] ‘Operation Ardire’ began in Perugia with prosecutor Comodi, in collaboration with ROS carabinieri forces and led to seven arrests in June 2012. It was based on article 270bis and referred to a series of attacks claimed by FAI/FRI between 2009 and 2012. The jurisdiction of the case passed from Perugia to Milan after a high court ruling in the appeal court, and for some of the accused, S.F., E.D.B., G.P.S. and G.L.T., it was passed from Milan to Turin and brought into Scripta Manent. All those imprisoned were released in 2013 after serving the maximum term.

[6] D.C. was arrested during one of the raids within Scripta Manent after electric material for common use (9-volt batteries and bulbs) was found in his home. Prosecutor Francesca Polino from Rome opened a separate proceeding against him, whilst keeping him in the high security AS2 regime.

[7] From 2003, because this is the year identified as the beginning of FAI following the attack on the interior minister at the time, Prodi and because of the text that claimed responsibility for it. For some of the accused, it’s 2008, because they’d already been put under investigation for the same attack, without having been formally charged.

[8] This refers to: the explosive device against the RIS carabinieri forces in Parma in October 2005, an action claimed by Coop. Artigiana Fuoco e Affini (occasionally spectacular)/FAI; the explosive/incendiary parcel sent to the then mayor of Bologna Sergio Cofferati in November 2005, also claimed by Coop. Artigiana Fuoco e Affini/FAI; the double explosive attack on the carabinieri training centre in Fossano (CN) in June 2006 claimed by FAI/RAT; the explosive/incendiary parcels sent to the then mayor of Turin Chiamparino, the director of Torino Cronaca Beppe Fossati and placed on the premises of Coema Edilitia, a company involved in the construction of the CIE in Turin in July 2006, all claimed by RAT/FAI; the 3 explosive devices set off in sequence in the Turin neighbourhood of Crocetta in March 2007 and claimed by RAT/FAI.

[9] In the summer of 2012, during the investigation and subsequent arrest of A.C. and N.G., prosecutors in various Italian jurisdictions reopened a series of archived case files relating to the attacks that the FAI had claimed over the previous 10 years.

[10] In 1995, about thirty anarchists were arrested and put on trial by Rome prosecutor Antonio Marini in collaboration with ROS carabinieri forces for article 270bis, in addition to a series of specific offences. The associative charge referring to the so-called ORAI organisation was dropped in 2004 and a sentence for subversive propaganda and other specific offences were confirmed.

[11] NdT: Similar to the French regions, the Länder have more weight and power of decision. The German State has 16 in all.

[12] Declaration of Gioacchino Somma, one of the anarchist defendants in the Operation Scripta Manent trial.