Outrage in Italy over Shackled Woman in Hungarian Court

The Italian government has summoned Hungary's ambassador after shocking images of an Italian woman in chains at a court in Budapest caused public and political outrage. The woman, 39-year-old Ilaria Salis, a primary school teacher from Monza, is accused of participating in violent attacks against neo-Nazi sympathizers in February 2023. Following a neo-Nazi rally in Budapest, several assaults occurred, allegedly carried out by far-left militants. One video, showing anti-fascist activists beating a Hungarian individual on the ground, has spread widely in Hungary, although the assailants remain unidentified. Ms. Salis was arrested alongside two German nationals and could face 11 years in prison if convicted. The case gained attention in October after her father spoke out about the harsh conditions of her detention. An online petition requesting her return to Italy has garnered over 90,000 signatures. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has summoned the Hungarian ambassador in Rome to inquire about the mistreatment endured by Ms. Salis. However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a close ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has yet to comment on the case. The scenes from court, where Ms. Salis appeared in chains, are viewed as a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, according to one of her lawyers. The Hungarian prison service denies the allegations of unsanitary conditions but prison overcrowding and a lack of staff have been reported by human rights groups. The case is attracting attention across Europe, with President of the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, describing the scenes as "appalling." Ms. Salis's lawyer criticized Hungary's repressive judicial system and called for her pre-trial detention to take place in Italy.