One of the judges who rejected the detention of the first group of migrants sent to a newly opened processing facility in Albania has reported receiving death threats.
Silvia Albano, one of six judges in the immigration unit of Rome’s tribunal, ruled against the detention of 12 migrants from Bangladesh and Egypt, citing a 4th October ruling by the European Court of Justice that deemed these countries unsafe.
Albano, who is also the president of the left-wing judicial faction Magistratura Democratica (MD), has faced significant backlash. In a statement on Thursday, MD condemned the “campaign of disrepute” targeting Roman magistrates, particularly Albano, which they say has created a hostile climate leading to threats against her safety and life.
The threats against Albano follow a recent incident involving three prosecutors in Palermo who also received threats after seeking a six-year prison sentence for Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini on abduction charges in the Open Arms case. These prosecutors were assigned security details, raising concerns about the growing “intimidation” of magistrates.
The government’s criticism of the court’s ruling has added to the tension. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio described the decision as “abnormal” after the migrants were returned to Italy from the new facility in Albania. In response, the government passed a new decree on Monday listing 19 countries, including Egypt and Bangladesh, as safe, stating that courts cannot overrule this based on the European Court’s 4th October decision.
