On the last February 20th, for the consecutive fourth time, the Government of the United States communicated by an official document its refusal to the Italian Government's demand about Silvia Baraldini's transfer to an Italian prison.
The scandal is that the document by which Washington communicates the umpteenth refusal to the transfer is lying until today, a month after the dispatch, in the drawers of the Ministry of Justice of Rome, presided as temporary post by Lamberto Dini.
Has it been kept hidden not to "disturb" the course of the political campaign? Maybe, the fact is that neither to Silvia Baraldini's relatives has been communicated the decision of Washington, or to the people in Italy that are interested in the case of this compatriot become a political litigation between Italy and United States.
And with astonishment of the people that are interested in this vicissitude in America, we learned that thing just by chance. Thanks to the DC Silvia Costa arrived to New York with the delegation of Italian assemblywomen who participate to the work of the Committee of women at the United Nations. "
We'd like to stress - said two days ago Silvia Costa during the press conference at Onu about the matter of the equal opportunities - the assemblywomen's interest in the case of our compatriot Silvia Baraldini who since ten years (they are already 14 ndr.) is serving 43 years'prison and is ill.
In December our Government sought vainly to bring further pressures to bear on Clinton's adminstration for the transfer, but unfortunately our ambassador said us that the American authorities replied ten days ago with a letter that has a negative answer".
Sure, "a negative answer", in spite of the "humanitarian grounds" so dear to Washington on the basis of them this time was formulated the Italian demand (advanced on October 20th of the last year). A refusal, communicated however not "ten days ago", but much earlier: for the precision on last February 20th, a month ago.
That is earlier that Italy was rebuked by the American ambassador in Rome for the superficiality with which the Palestinian terrorist charged with Kinghoffer's death during the kidnapping of "Achille Lauro" escaped from the prison where he was kept in custody and from Italy. Therefore without any pretext that could "explain" - certainly not to justify being the two things absolutely extraneous between them- a negative answer suggested by a "bad temper" of Washington towards the Italian authorities.
Moreover, unlike the last three refusals, this time the official document that rejects the Italian demand hasn't been signed by the Secretary of Justice Janet Reno - as contemplated by the protocol between two friendly and allied countries with same sovereignty - but rather by an obscure servant of the Ministry.
The "news", though, stop here, seen that the reasons given by the American authorities follow justifications given from December 1991 to Jenuary 1996: Silvia Baraldini was a member of an organization with terroristic activity and so....
In sum an outright "slap in the face" to Italy. Without any reactions, for a change. From what we have verified, indeed, the Italian Government didn't confined itself not to inform the public opinion about the "matter", but it hasn't opposed to the official communication of the American Government either a note of annoyance.
"I don't give up" stated with ardour Lamberto Dini during his conference of year's end, revealing on the top of that in that circumstance a sensational lack of information about the case. "She was implicated in the murders of two FBI agents"; "She has been sentenced to 40 years because she doesn't repent"; "In America she was treated probably better than in Italy".Just to cite only some "sweets".
According to the not written terms in the Convention of Strasburgo, but imposed by the United States, Silvia Baraldini - by the way not guilty of any bloody episode - will have to wait now other 12 months for Italy can re-present the official demand for her transfer. And the time is everything. The conditions of imprisonment in the prison of Danbury put her psychological resistance in crisis and when Baraldini will be acquainted with this last episode of superficiality from her own Government sure doesn't come out strengthened in the spirits.