New glimmers of light have emerged in the delicate situation of Ilaria Salis, who has been imprisoned in Budapest for nearly a year in cruel conditions, as she herself has condemned. The 39-year-old Milanese teacher, an anti-fascist militant, is currently on trial in Hungary to answer for alleged life-threatening injuries, with the aggravating circumstance of having participated in a subversive association, for having attacked neo-Nazis during the far-right demonstration called to celebrate the Day of Honor. It is an event that commemorates the deaths of Hungarian and German soldiers during the Soviet's siege of Budapest from October 1944 to February 1945, and has been held for years in the week of February 11, attracting extreme right-wing movements to the Hungarian capital, where marches, protests, and commemorations are organized. Following its presentation in court carried on a chain, which incited a multitude of controversies, the Salis case has once again become a subject of intense public discourse. Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, spoke on the issue in an interview with Corriere della Sera, saying of his Hungarian counterpart: "We have found a willingness to listen to us; they are doing all the checks we have asked for on the detainee's protection." "Many people moved, the chief prosecutor went to see her, certainly there was great attention from the Hungarian authorities: but we must not forget that there are more than 2,400 Italians detained in the world; we follow and assist everyone," he stated. "We were struck by how Mrs. Salis was translated in court. We will follow the case with respect owing to the procedures of Hungarian justice, but we will also attentively and continuously help the family and lawyers. Ilaria Salis' family and lawyers intend to return her to Italy under house arrest while the trial is ongoing, assuring, if necessary, her appearance in court before the Hungarian judges. In the meanwhile, the trial is scheduled to resume in May. (Photo by Olaf Kosinsky)
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