La Russa files lawsuit against historian Ponzani over remarks on 1973 police killing

Ignazio La Russa, president of the Senate, disclosed that he has instructed his legal team to file a complaint against historian Michela Ponzani following her statements on a televised program. Ponzani argued that if a security decree similar to the one currently debated had existed in 1973, the fatal shooting of 22-year-old police officer Antonio Marino might have been avoided. She described how the officer was killed by a hand-grenade launched from within an unauthorized march organized by the youth wing of the MSI, which the Senate president had headed.

La Russa responded that judicial records confirm his lack of any liability for the incident and that he holds a clean criminal record. He further pledged to take legal steps against anyone linking his name to the officer’s death. The move has drawn criticism from centre-left senators and the Five Star Movement, who view the suit as intimidation of scholarly debate.