ROS [Carabinieri Special Operations]

Italy: An update and some considerations on Operation Sibilla and the 41 bis against anarchist Alfredo Cospito

Posted on 2022/06/25 - 2022/07/24 by darknights

A hearing on the precautionary measures ordered for the repressive Sibilla operation was held at the Court of Cassation in Rome on June 22. The hearing stemmed from an appeal by prosecutor Manuela Comodi against the order of the Perugia review court, which on Dec. 16 had resulted in the annulment of the precautionary measures taken on Nov. 11 in the repressive operation. The Court of Cassation, in spite of the opinion of the Attorney General’s Office (which had called for the rejection of the Perugia prosecutor’s appeal), granted PM Comodi’s request, annulling the order of the review court and ordering a new hearing. The precautionary measures are not effective, and a new review hearing will be ordered for the coming months at the Perugia court.

We would like to take the opportunity of this update to dwell on the reasons that led to the crackdown, adding some of our own considerations derived especially from the recent order to transfer Comrade Alfredo Cospito to a 41 bis detention regime.

In September 2021, following years of investigations conducted by the commands of the Special Operational Grouping of the Carabinieri in Milan and Perugia, eight prison arrests for as many anarchist comrades were requested by the Perugia prosecutor’s office. This order was partly rejected and downgraded by the judge for preliminary investigations. At the same time as this request for arrest, a three-month censure order on correspondence was ordered for comrade Alfredo Cospito, which was subsequently renewed several times.

Thus, on Nov. 11, dozens of searches were carried out by the ROS of the Carabinieri, the Sibilla investigation concerning some 15 comrades was notified, and six precautionary measures were imposed in connection with the charge of incitement to commit a crime with the aggravating factor of the purpose of terrorism: an arrest warrant in prison for Alfredo Cospito (at the time already imprisoned in the Terni jail); the arrest of comrade Michele Fabiani, who was placed under house arrest with all restrictions; and finally, the obligation to stay in the municipality of residence jointly with the obligation to sign three days a week for four comrades. On the very day of the operation, two websites (roundrobin.info and malacoda.noblogs.org) were also blacked out, making their online addresses untraceable, and at present they are still unreachable on Italian territory through conventional browsers (due to technical limitations, the repressive forces were able to order the blackout only in Italy, since it was not possible to completely eliminate the websites in question). As mentioned earlier, after a little over a month, the precautionary measures were all cancelled by the review court. Continue reading “Italy: An update and some considerations on Operation Sibilla and the 41 bis against anarchist Alfredo Cospito” →

Italy: You’ll find us in our place as we can’t stay in yours. On the “Diamante” investigation

Posted on 2022/06/25 - 2022/06/25 by darknights

You’ll find us in our place as we can’t stay in yours. On the “Diamante” investigation

At dawn on 16th March 2022 two anarchists were arrested in Rome by the DIGOS police and the ROS carabinieri on orders of the Power of Attorney of Genoa and Public Prosecutor Federico Manotti.

The charge is fabrication and possession of explosive material (article 1 and 2, bill 895/67) with the intent to attack public safety (article 435 of the penal code), all this with purposes of terrorism and subversion of the democratic order (article 270 bis 1) in collusion with other persons yet to be identified.

Alongside this investigation named “Diamante”, there is another open investigation named “Tenaglia” following incendiary sabotages on pylons, repeaters and server booths which occurred in 2021 in Liguria, and even episodes that happened many years ago, listed, even only formally, and mentioned in previous investigations and failed investigations by the same prosecutor in Genoa. This seems to be more like a strategy to exaggerate the repressive operation, given that there is little or nothing that concretely links these episodes to the reason for the arrest for possession of explosive material.

Obviously in the investigation there is the usual revisitation of significance and analyses often incoherent and botched, which intend to schematise the “trends” of the anarchist movement into “formations” and a superficial job of copy-and-paste on things already written in other anti-anarchist investigations, which we absolutely think are pointless to dwell on.

The investigation that led to the arrest started with the finding of explosive material, electrical material and other devices in a forest in Liguria in June 2021. In the papers of the investigation we read that containers were found by an unknown person who later declared he was looking for drugs, and who after the finding went to report it to the carabinieri together with a friend. The pair collaborated with the police and gave directions and descriptions, and were considered suspects, investigated, intercepted and shadowed by the same carabinieri they turned to, and were later exonerated.

After the finding of the containers, the carabinieri set up photo/video traps to “catch” anyone who went near the area. Subsequently a male person was photographed from behind near the spot, a person whom the police declared they recognized and had identified. Continue reading “Italy: You’ll find us in our place as we can’t stay in yours. On the “Diamante” investigation” →

Italy: Update about the comrades arrested on March 16th: Evelin also transferred to house arrest and coordinates of solidarity fund

Posted on 2022/04/08 by darknights

Evelin was transferred to house arrest in Rovereto on March 26th. Both she and Gianluca are subject to all restrictions (no communication with each other, no communication with persons other than close family members, no leaving the perimeter of the house even to buy food, no receiving correspondence, etc., and periodic checks by the police).

A solidarity fund has been set up to support the expenses of the two comrades (currently the fund is only active on italian territory). The coordinates for sending contributions are:

Postepay account number: 4023 6010 2286 1819
Tax code: BGNPPL79M18E472O

[Note: The comrades were arrested in Rome on March 16th. The investigation and the repressive operation are the result of a joint work between the ROS (“Special Operational Grouping” of carabinieri) and the DIGOS (“General Investigations and Special Operations Division”, political police), coordinated by the Genoa public prosecutor’s office. The two comrades are charged with “possession of deflagrant and explosive material, attempted manufacture of improvised explosive devices, as well as possession of deflagrant material with the aim of attacking public safety”, in conspiracy with unknown persons, in relation to the discovery by the repressive forces of explosive material in June 2021 in a wood near Genoa].

Italy: Update about the comrades arrested on March 16: Gianluca transferred to house arrest

Posted on 2022/03/26 by darknights

On Wednesday, March 16, two anarchist comrades, Evelin and Gianluca, were arrested in Rome. The investigation and the repressive operation are the result of a joint work between the ROS (“Special Operational Grouping” of carabinieri) and the DIGOS (“General Investigations and Special Operations Division”, political police), coordinated by the Genoa public prosecutor’s office. The two comrades are charged with “possession of deflagrant and explosive material, attempted manufacture of improvised explosive devices, as well as possession of deflagrant material with the aim of attacking public safety”, in conspiracy with unknown persons.

On March 23, Gianluca was transferred to house arrest. Currently (March 25), Evelin remains imprisoned in the women’s Rebibbia prison.

Revolutionary solidarity with Gianluca and Evelin and all imprisoned anarchists!

The address of the comrade:

Evelin Sterni
C. C. di Roma Rebibbia femminile
via Bartolo Longo 92
00156 Roma (Italy)

Italy: Blank spaces and black letters

Posted on 2022/03/06 - 2022/03/06 by darknights

Source: Inferno Urbano

Via & Translated by act for freedom now!

Blank spaces and black letters – On the repressive operation “Sibilla”

To express annoyance or disappointment in the face of power is not for us. Convinced as we are that between freedom and authority not only there is an unbridgeable gap but also that the former is the expression of irreducible otherness towards the latter and that the two are incompatible and irreconcilable, we persevere in firmly believing that the only possible relation with power is a relation of war. Either you are subjected to it or you destroy it.

This is the reason why resignation, surrender and, ultimately, capitulation become clear in the indifference towards the State. We anarchists retain an idea of freedom which is too extended and uncontrollable to be allowed to be “satisfied”. Our idea defines and – where theory flows into practice – intends to express integral and absolute freedom which scorns all kinds of compliance with power, which effectively smashes the false democratic “freedoms” being given to us, which in an eternal yearning for revolt strikes with action the persons and structures of power, disintegrating the space and time of authority.

Sometimes, especially when conscience is arid of will, the cumbersome presence of the State in all fields of existence and everyday life manages to make its courageous opponents withdraw, and in this way they begin to postpone the realization of their projects infinitively. Hostility becomes indifference. In this way, little by little, the goal becomes that of keeping on with a form of antagonism more or less adorned with radical desires. Rather than destroying the world of authority we prefer de-existential withdrawal which aims at building up our “small world”, by dedicating ourselves to ourselves, our deadlines, relations and even “self-management”, “self-determination” of milieus and situations. Continue reading “Italy: Blank spaces and black letters” →

Italy: Measure and process updates for Operation Bialystok

Posted on 2022/02/03 by darknights

January 2022

As we approach the end of the trial of Operation Bialystok, it seems to us to be the right moment to spread some considerations on its progress. Although we are not interested in following the pace dictated by repression, nor in taking a victimistic or alarmist stance in the face of the activities of police institutions, we believe it is important to share information and impressions about what is happening at the court level. By conscious choice, we will summarize aspects and moments that we consider noteworthy, at the expense of a detailed and chronological description of the trial in which we are involved.

As far as the framework of the investigation is concerned, we refer to the texts “Sull’operazione Bialystok” (On the Bialystok operation) already published and circulated on the web and “Testo e contesto” (Text and context).

At the time of writing all defendants in this proceeding are at large. On January 27th a positive response was received to a request for the end of the precautionary measures to which 4 defendants were still subject (3 obligations to stay and one obligation to present themselves for weekly signatures), so that at the moment only one person remains under obligations to stay. The differences in conditions are mainly due to the different timing in the presentation of the appeals which brought the same before different courts, and to the specificity of the individual positions regarding the crimes charged.

Broadly speaking, up to now the process has been marked by hours and hours of endless hearings for the delineation of the anarchist context both nationally and internationally, hearings where we defendants have almost never been nominated. Only after many hearings did we begin to talk about the so-called specific facts. There was a certain interest and prominence in the moments in which the international relations of the defendants were exposed; this was not because the prosecution brought who knows what elements, on the contrary, we witnessed a real climbing on mirrors, but more because of the play of roles within the institution of justice. It is evident that an assize court, used to dealing with crimes of a certain gravity, sees in the international dimension of the investigation the possibility of its own raison d’être. And this, we say, on the level of the actual courtroom show; behind the scenes, that is, on the level of the investigation, and therefore of the repressive strategy, we also see something else, that is, a direction that looks like it wants to be taken in the future. These, like others in the past, are attempts, sometimes successful and sometimes less so, to structure on a concrete level the collaboration of police and prosecutors’ offices on an international level regarding investigations. Continue reading “Italy: Measure and process updates for Operation Bialystok” →

The reaction in Italy: Message in the barrel about operation Sibilla and much more by Anarchist Michele Fabiani

Posted on 2021/12/10 by darknights

Source: fuoridallariserva Via & Translated by Act for freedom now!

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Message in the barrel about operation Sibilla and much more

The passion for destruction is also a creative passion

— M. Bakunin, The Reaction in Germany

The story goes that one day Alexander the Great went to the barrel in which Diogenes of Sinope lived. Diogenes was the only philosopher who had not gone to pay homage to the great king. So Alexander went to him. Alexander asked him: “Tell me what I can do for you”. And Diogenes answered: “Yes, move away, stand out of my light.”.

Reflecting on conditions of incommunicability, autonomy and refractoriness towards power is far more complicated today than it was in the 4th century BC.

Today power does not move, there is no longer a barrel inside which the shadow of the State does not reach. The only possible relationship with this global organism is violence. One hears all too often, like a plaint of bigots at evensong, that revolutionary violence is out of date. It is said that “times have changed” when, if anything, it is the possibility of escape that has changed.

The last two years have been a sad confirmation of this old story. A new era was heralded in with the massacre in the Italian prisons, the people locked in their homes while production continued to go ahead, the attacks and killings during the transport strikes, the countless repressive manoeuvres against anarchists, and finally through the green pass, the final (?) destination of the new society of control. Continue reading “The reaction in Italy: Message in the barrel about operation Sibilla and much more by Anarchist Michele Fabiani” →

Italy: On 11/11/2021, the ROS [Carabinieri Special Operations] raided the homes of dozens of comrades all over Italy

Posted on 2021/11/16 - 2021/11/16 by darknights

Source: roundrobin.info

At 4am in the morning of 11/11/2021, the ROS [Carabinieri Special Operations] raided the homes of dozens of comrades all over Italy on orders of the PM Comodi in an investigation set off by the usual Nobili and Basilone.

Alfredo, in prison for having shot at Adinolfi, CEO of Ansaldo Nucleare, and for ”operation Scripta Manent”, was notified of yet another pre-trial detention; another comrade is under house arrest, four more were subjected to an obligation to remain in their own area with regular signing.

The main accusation is of having constituted and promoted an association with aims of terrorism, an accusation in particular revolving around the paper “Vetriolo” and some articles published in it.

Linked to this operation, the editors of Roundrobin were notified the same evening that they are under investigation: the accusations (threats, incitement to commit crimes, association with terrorist aims) are linked to the publication of some writings which in the cops’ opinion are signed by some of the comrades under investigation.

As Roundrobin we have always wanted to give space to all anarchist ideas and debate and are proud to have published the writings of the comrades under indictment.

Despite the difficulties due to which the site has been on hold for almost a month, we will now recommence giving space to the contributions that reach us, no matter what the shit servants of power think.

Solidarity to the comrades raided and under investigation.

Always with head held high.

Long live anarchy!

Translated by Act for freedom now!