ANM Chief Parodi Says No Evidence of Judicial Persecution After Critique of Berlusconi Case Delays

Overview

• Cesare Parodi reaffirmed that a judicial saga stretching three decades in cases tied to Silvio Berlusconi is unacceptable for a civil country, calling the timing a failure.
• In a follow-up statement, he said there is no proof of a coordinated persecution of politicians and insisted justice must not be instrumentalized for political ends.
• Parodi cautioned that renewed talk of conspiracies seeks to depict the judiciary as politicized to influence public opinion ahead of the referendum on separating judges' and prosecutors' careers.
• Forza Italia first welcomed his criticism of delays, then faulted the ANM for opposing reforms such as career separation and civil liability for magistrates, while Defence Minister Guido Crosetto attacked the association's stance.
• Clarifying context around recent rulings, Parodi noted the Cassation decision concerned Marcello Dell'Utri's asset confiscation rather than Berlusconi, and he attributed lengthy proceedings to factors including procedural changes and workload.