Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio refused to extradite to Argentina priest Don Franco Reverberi from the diocese of Parma, who was accused of various crimes committed in Argentina during the Videla dictatorship. The keeper of the seals considered that “health reasons” were common, and so the Reverberi could continue to live undisturbed in the rectory of Sorbolo in the province of Parma.
The definitive “yes” to extradition requested by Argentina appeared to come last October, when the Supreme Court confirmed the decision of the Bologna Court of Appeal and rejected the appeal against extradition submitted by the priest’s defense.
The Minister of Justice had 45 days to confirm or reject the decision, and today the denial came: “Advanced age”, together with “cardiological pathologies” and “psychological stress” may cause the 87-year-old defendant to be subjected to the general procedure “fatal consequences in the waste decree” we read .
“Missing” and torture crimes of Don Reverberi
As the non-profit organization “24 Marzo” recalls, Franco Reverberi is accused by the Argentine authorities of the 1976 murder of Josè Guillermo Beron, then twenty years old and still “desaparecido”. The cleric is also accused of witnessing the torture that the prisoners, who went down in history as “desaparecidos”, were subjected to before they were killed and disappeared.
Dn Reverberi was a military chaplain in the past and is wanted specifically for what happened in the secret detention center known as “La Departamental”. 24 The Marzo association explains: “Like many others accused of taking an active part in the crimes committed during the Cono Sur dictatorship, Reverberi moved to Italy many years ago thanks to a dual passport and lived undisturbed for a long time.” .
The cleric fled Argentina in 2011, when the first trial for crimes against humanity began and his name began to appear in the statements.
Source: Today IT
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
