A preliminary investigations judge
(GIP) in Florence on Monday rejected a request filed by the
State Attorney's office to shelve the case against three
end-of-life activists who were probed for helping a 44-year-old
with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) travel to Switzerland
to die in a country where assisted suicide is legal.
The GIP Agnese di Girolamo ordered the forced indictment of the
three activists, including the treasurer of the right-to-die
Luca Coscioni association Marco Cappato, as well as Felicetta
Maltese and Chiara Lalli.
"Ours was an act of civil disobedience", Cappato said after the
judge's decision.
"With Chiara Lalli and Felicetta Maltese we reported ourselves
to the authorities because we were, and are, ready to take
responsibility, in the full respect of the decisions taken by
magistrates and amid the total inertia of Parliament", he added.
Assisted suicide is an offence that carries a prison term
ranging between five and 12 years in jail.
Tuscany last month became the first Italian region to approve a
law granting access to assisted suicide amid a legislative
vacuum at the national level.
In 2009 the Constitutional Court said assisted suicide is
permissible in Italy in some circumstances in its 'Cappato
ruling', named after Marco Cappato.
The requirements outlined in the 2019 sentence included the
presence of an irreversible pathology, unbearable physical or
psychological suffering and the patient's reliance on treatments
of vital support, among others.
The court also called on parliament to pass legislation dealing
with end-of-life issues, something that it has failed to do so
far.
The parties on the right of Italy's political spectrum are
opposed to moves to make assisted suicide easier.
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