The appeals court in Reggio Calabria, southern Italy, has granted a 90-day extension for the publication of the motivation behind its decision to overturn the conviction of former Calabrian mayor Mimmo Lucano. The decision pertains to serious charges related to irregularities in his management of asylum seekers in the town of Riace.
Former Riace Mayor Mimmo Lucano, who became famous globally for his welcoming reception of refugees and migrants as well as for his local integration efforts, faced accusations of mismanagement in migrant reception in 2018.
In September 2021, a court of first instance sentenced him to over 13 years in jail on charges including criminal association, fraud, embezzlement, and abuse of office. Subsequently, the appeals court later reduced Lucano's term to a year and a half.
On Tuesday (January 9), the appeals court announced the need for an additional 90 days before filing the motivation for the sentence. The court, on October 11 last year, overturned nearly all of the 19 charges against Lucano, who served as the mayor of Riace from 2004 to 2018.
Summary of Lucano's trial
Following the initial 13-year, two-month sentence from the Locri court in Calabria, the Reggio Calabria appeals court upheld a minor conviction, reducing the term to a suspended sentence of a year and a half. This conviction was related to falsifying one of the 57 documents contested by prosecutors, specifically concerning Lucano's management of hosting projects for asylum seekers in Riace.
Lucano, who was represented by attorneys Andrea Daqua and Giuliano Pisapia, was acquitted of all other charges, including criminal association, embezzlement and aiding illegal immigration to bypass asylum rules.
The motivation of the sentence will be filed within the next 90 days due to the workload of the appeals court judges and the complexity of the case, judicial sources said.
Read more: Integration under threat: Calling time on the Riace model
Motivation of extension
The 90-day extension was attributed to the "uncommon complexity and sensitivity of the facts" at the center of the case, as stated by magistrates.
Davide Laura, one of the three appeals court judges deciding the case, said the trial against Mimmo Lucano "requires a careful and analytical reconstruction of the elements of proof" derived from statements made by witnesses and wiretaps, along with a thorough examination of documents presented by the defense. Additionally, the resolution of various legal issues related to both procedure and the "juridical definition" of Lucano's "disputed actions" contributes to the extension.
Read more: Migrant-friendly Italian ex-mayor sentenced to 13 years in prison