L'AQUILA; MUNICIPAL BUILDING; MUNICIPAL CHAMBER; MAYOR SPEAKING; CICERONE SPEAKING; JOURNALISTS WRITING; CERULLI SPEAKING; CHAMBER.




Initials JH/V/JH/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CENTRAL ITALIAN TOWN OF L'AQUILA LAST NIGHT (WEDNESDAY) CONDEMNED MONSIGNOR MATTHIAS DEFREGGER, THE ROMAN CATHOLIC SUFFRAGAN OF MUNICH, FOR HIS PART IN THE WARTIME EXECUTION OF 17 PEOPLE FROM THE NEARBY VILLAGE OF FILLETO. THE COUNCIL PASSED A STRONGLY-WORDED RESOLUTION BACKING DEMANDS BY VILLAGERS TO BRING THE WEST GERMAN BISHOP TO JUSTICE.

THE BISHOP, WHO WAS GERMAN ARMY CAPTAIN DURING THE WAR, PASSED AN ORDER FOR THE EXECUTION AS A REPRISAL FOR THE KILLING OF A GERMAN SOLDIER IN 1944.

THE DEMAND FOR THE BISHOP'S EXTRADITION WAS RAISED BY A COMMUNIST DEPUTY, SIGNOR ERCOLE CICERONE. HE DEMANDED THAT MONSIGNOR DEFREGGER BY EXTRADICTED AS A WAR CRIMINAL.

A "PETITION OF FORGIVENESS", ALLEGEDLY SUPPORTED BY THE MAYOR OF L'AQUILA, SIGNOR TULLIO DE REBELS, AND SIGNOR CERULLI, WHO SPOKE DURING THE MEETING IN FAVOUR OF MONSIGNOR DEFREGGER, IS REPORTED TO HAVE RECEIVED LITTLE SUPPORT AMONG THE VILLAGERS.

THE 40-MEMBER COUNCIL, IN ITS RESOLUTION, EXPRESSED ITS "EXECRATION" AT MONSIGNOR DEFREGGER FOR HIS PART IN THE MASSACRE AND SAID THAT PRESS REPORTS PERSONALLY AT THE BISHOPS AS BEING RESPONSIBLE.

THE RESOLUTION EXPRESSED FULL SOLIDARITY WITH THE VILLAGERS, "WHO IS SIGNING A PETITION FOR THE EXTRADITION OF MATTHIAS DEFREGGER AND HIS NORMAL TRIAL IN ITALY HAVE REITERATED THEIR DEEP ATTACHEMENT TO THE VALUES OF JUSTICE AND LIBERTY BORN FROM THE RESISTANCE AGAINST NAZI FASCISM."
THE COUNCIL SAID ITS GESTURE WAS DESIGNED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE UNMASKING OF FORCES STILL PRESENT IN EUROPE WHICH END TO SUSTAIN AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES ALREADY CONDEMNED BY HISTORY.

MONSIGNOR DEFREGGER WROTE TO THE VILLAGE RECENTLY ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS AFTER THE WEST GERMAN NEWS MAGAZINE DER SPIEGEL REPORTED HIS PART IN THE AFFAIR.