Matteo Falcinelli, an Italian student, was arrested by Miami police and “locked” in a cell for 13 minutes. The video – taken from the police officers’ body cameras, which the boy’s lawyer managed to obtain from the Public Prosecutor’s Office – has circulated on the web and is causing a wave of outrage. These are powerful images that show the 25-year-old from Spoleto on the ground, immobilized by several police officers. “He was afraid of being killed and dying,” said his mother, Vlasta Studenicova. “They placed a knee on his neck, preventing him from breathing, like in the sad case of George Floyd, when he was already completely subdued.” “Matteo wanted to go get his two remaining phones from a bar and asked the police for them, but instead of helping him, the police asked him to leave. None of the officers went into the bar to see if the phones were there. Then Matteo asked why they weren’t doing their job serving the citizens, and which department they worked for, at that moment, he inadvertently touched one of the police officer’s badge with his finger and at that moment the attack and arrest began.” , continued the woman interviewed on In Mezz’ora, on Rai Tre.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke by telephone with Ms. Vlasta Studenicova this afternoon. “I offered my warmest solidarity to the family of you and Falcinelli and, above all, I confirmed that the Italian Consulate in Miami and the entire Farnesina will continue to monitor the legal case and offer assistance to Mr. Falcinelli”, informed the minister. Tajani confirmed to the Falcinelli family that “the Italian Government fulfills its obligation when it defends Italian citizens who request assistance in cases such as violent and brutal arrests or detentions with its consular structures”. “I was deeply impressed by the violence and the type of treatment that was applied to our young compatriot: this system in Italy evokes something that I don’t even want to name. strength, the case of Mr. Falcinelli Farnesina will be followed up,” he added.
Source: IL Tempo

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.