The European Parliament cannot be a refuge for criminals, “be they Eva Kalinak, Marc Tarabella or Ilaria Salis”, the EP delegation of Hungary’s ruling alliance of Fidesz and the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP) said, vowing to do everything possible to prevent abuses of immunity. In a statement, they noted last February’s armed attacks in Budapest by a group of foreigners against those they had believed to be participants in an event “that ended up not happening”. The MEPs noted that charges had been raised against Italian antifa activist Ilaria Salis in connection with the attacks. Since Salis was elected to the EP in the June 9 elections, the court, in line with international law, suspended the proceedings against her and released her from house arrest, allowing her to return to Italy, the statement added.
Fidesz MEP Enikő Győri said the delegation respected the decision of the Italian electorate, but “firmly condemns” that the Italian Green and Left Alliance had “nominated her for the election so that she could hide behind her newly-acquired immunity from the consequences of her actions a year and a half ago”. “We trust that the European Parliament will suspend Ilaria Salis’s immunity when the Budapest court initiates it, so that she will not be able to evade justice,” Győri said.