P R E S S R E L E A S E
GREAT NEWS FROM ITALY
It is to be recalled that a mausoleum was established in 2012 for the Italian Fascist criminal known as “the butcher of Ethiopia”, Rodolfo Graziani, at an Italian town called Affile within the Italian province called Lazio. It is with great satisfaction and appreciation that we inform all supporters of justice for Ethiopia that an Italian court has confirmed its earlier verdict that those Italians responsible for the erection of the mausoleum be penalized by imprisonment, financial penalties, and suspension from Government jobs.
Those to whom the Global Alliance for Justice – The Ethiopian Cause would like to express its warmest appreciation and thanks for their immense contributions to the Italian court’s verdict for the removal of the Graziani mausoleum include the following:
- E. Mr. Nicola Zingaretti, the Governor of the Lazio Province and the head of the Italian Democratic Party;
- E. Mr. Emanuele Fiano, Member of Permanent Commission of the Constitutional Affairs of the Ministry of Interior;
- ANPI (Associazone Nazionale Partagiane Italiani: National Association of Partisans in Italy);
- FARI (Federazione delle Assemblee Ras Tafari in Italia: Federation of the Assembly of
Rastafarians in Italy); EXODUS; President of both: Mr. Carmelo Crescenti;
- ECAI (Ethiopian Community Association in Italy);
- Valerio Ciriaci: (Director of the documentary film re the Graziani mausoleum and Italian
Fascist crimes in Ethiopia: “If Only I Were That Warrior”).
The Italian Provincial Council (Lazio) has decided to remove the Graziani mausoleum. The court’s verdict includes the following:
- 8 months imprisonment of Affile’s mayor, Mr. Ettore Viri, plus a penalty of Euro 120.00 and his suspension from Government job for 5 years;
- 6 months imprisonment of two members of Affile’s Council i.e. Mr. Peperoni and Mr. Frosoni plus a penalty of Euro 80.00 and their suspension from Government jobs for 5 years;
- Penalties of Euro 8,000.00 to be paid to ANPI and Euro 1,800.00 to be paid to the plaintiff.
The Global Alliance for Justice – The Ethiopian Cause calls on the Italian Government to ensure the expeditious removal of the Fascist criminal, Rodolfo Graziani’s mausoleum and the prompt execution of its court’s verdict. The Alliance also calls on the Ethiopian Government as well as the European Union to follow-up this case with the Italian Government for the purpose of its timely execution
It is known that under the leadership of Benito Mussolini, Fascist Italy had invaded Ethiopia during 1935-41 when huge war crimes were perpetrated, with the Vatican’s complicity, including the massacre of one million people of whom 30,000 were killed in only three days in Addis Ababa and over 2,000 monks and parishioners at the Debre Libanos monastery as well as the murder of Their Eminences Abune Petros and Abune Mikael, the destruction of 2,000 churches, 525,000 homes and 14 million animals plus the looting of vast quantities of Ethiopian properties of which 500 manuscripts are currently in the custody of the Vatican Library.
The Italian government has still not undertaken the required remuneration, and restitution of the looted properties to Ethiopia although it has agreed to compensate Libya with $5 billion for its massacre of 30,000 Libyans. The Vatican which has apologized to Jews, the people of Latin America and Rwanda has still not apologized to the Ethiopian people.
The Global Alliance for Justice – The Ethiopian Cause is engaged with its effort for the achievement of the following objectives:
- Adequate remuneration, and restitution of Ethiopian properties by Italy to Ethiopia;
- Vatican’s apology to the Ethiopian people for its complicity with Fascist Italian crimes in Ethiopia;
- UN recognition of Fascist Italian crimes in Ethiopia; and
- Removal of Graziani’s mausoleum in Italy.
Appeals for support have been submitted to all the concerned parties including the Italian, Ethiopian, USA and UK Governments as well as the UN, EU, and AU international organizations. Repeated appeals have also been submitted to the Vatican. In addition, a petition is being signed on the Alliance’s website: www.globalallianceforethiopia.net calling on the Vatican to apologize to the Ethiopian people.
The Alliance calls on all institutions and people who believe in justice to exert their maximum effort in achieving the above objectives.