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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Kidnapping (incld. Abduction) |
Sentence: |
10 years |
Years Imprisoned: |
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Year Crime: |
2003 |
Year Convicted: |
2013 |
Year Cleared: |
2014 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Italy |
County or Region of Crime: |
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City of Crime: |
Milan |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"Nicolo Pollari, Marco Mancini, Ciorra Joseph, Raffaele Di Troia, and Luciano Di Gregori were five codefendants wrongly convicted in February 2013 for the kidnapping of Egyptian in 2003. After their acquittal in 2009, the prosecution appealed and in February 2013 the Fourth Section of the Court of Appeal of Milan, Italy reversed the lower court's ruling and found the five defendants guilty. Pollari was the former head of SISMI, Italy's military intelligence agency, and his codefendants worked with the agency. Pollari and his codefendants were convicted for the kidnapping of former Milan imam Abu Omar in Milan on February 17, 2003 and his "rendition" to Egypt for questioning as a terrorist suspect. Abu Omar was questioned for seven months and imprisoned for several years before he was released without any charges being filed against him. Pollari was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and the other four to 9 years in prison. The five were also perpetually disqualified from holding public office and ordered to pay court costs in all instances. The defendants jointly and severally ordered to indemnify Abu Omar with one million euro, and his wife with 500,000 euro. Their sentences were stayed pending the outcome of their appeal to Italy's Supreme Court. On February 24, 2014 the Supreme Court acquitted Pollari and his four codefendants, ruling that they could not be prosecuted because of state secrecy laws." |
Conviction Caused By: |
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Innocence Proved By: |
"On February 24, 2014 the Supreme Court acquitted Pollari and his four codefendants, ruling that they could not be prosecuted because of state secrecy laws." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
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Age When Released: |
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Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
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Information Source 1: |
"Convictions of 5 Italians thrown out in CIA case, By PTI, ZeeNews.india.com, February 25, 2014" |
Information Location 1: |
http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/convictions-of-5-italians-thrown-out-in-cia-case_913859.html |
Information Source 2: |
"Milan appeals court convicts 2 Italian spy chiefs, By Colleen Barry, Bloomberg Businessweek, February 12, 2013" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-02-12/milan-appeals-court-convicts-2-italian-spy-chiefs |
Information Source 3: |
"Italy's ex-spy chief convicted over 2003 CIA rendition, BBC News, February 12, 2013" |
Information Location 3: |
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-21435632 |
Information Source 4: |
"Italian former spy chief cleared in CIA rendition case, By Reuters (Rome bureau), Reuters, February 24, 2014" |
Information Location 4: |
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/24/us-italy-cia-idUSBREA1N1HY20140224 |
Information Source 5: |
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Information Location 5: |
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Book Information: |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org