(ANSAmed) - ROME, APRIL 23 - Algeria has complained with
Italy over the treatment of two of its nationals deported last
week on an Alitalia Rome-Tunis flight, the photos of which -
showing the men with scotch tape over their mouths - went viral
on the web and sparked a great deal of heated debate in Italy as
well. The Algerian Foreign Minister has today summoned the
Italian ambassador to the country, Michele Giacomelli, to
''protest vehemently on behalf of the Algerian authorities''
against the treatment which Algiers called (according to the
Algerian foreign ministry spokesman) ''violent, humiliating and
unacceptable''.
The incident - with the two seated in the last row of the
plane with plastic handcuffs on, mouths taped shut with
packaging tape and a protective mask lowered over their faces -
is one which Rome has already announced that it will be looking
into thoroughly. This was reiterated yesterday by the Italian
Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi, who wrote to the Tunisian blogger
Lina Ben Mhenni - who had expressed ''profound consternation''
over the case - saying that the Italian government has already
opened an administrative investigation into the matter and that
the magistrature began a judicial one. This was in line with
what had been said by Interior, Minister Anna Maria Cancellieri,
who in reporting before the Chamber of Deputies on the events
said that the use of ''coercive measures'' such as scotch tape
on mouths was an ''extemporaneous'' behaviour, and above all one
that is ''offensive to personal dignity''. ''It is entirely in
the police's interest'' to make sure that light is shed on the
case in all of its aspects, said the head of the interior
ministry in announcing that an inquiry would take place.
It is a matter that the Algerian government has now asked to know more about, calling Ambassador Giacomelli to the foreign ministry, where he met with the Secretary of State for the National Community Living Abroad, Benattallah Halim. Reporting this was the spokesman for the Algerian ministry himself, saying that during the meeting ''protest'' had been expressed over the treatment suffered ''by two of our fellow countrymen'', treatment called ''violent, humiliating and inacceptable'', and that ambassador had been urged to ''convey to the Italian authorities'' Algiers' position while awaiting ''clarification''. (ANSAmed).
It is a matter that the Algerian government has now asked to know more about, calling Ambassador Giacomelli to the foreign ministry, where he met with the Secretary of State for the National Community Living Abroad, Benattallah Halim. Reporting this was the spokesman for the Algerian ministry himself, saying that during the meeting ''protest'' had been expressed over the treatment suffered ''by two of our fellow countrymen'', treatment called ''violent, humiliating and inacceptable'', and that ambassador had been urged to ''convey to the Italian authorities'' Algiers' position while awaiting ''clarification''. (ANSAmed).
