Trial of Tiziano L. in Rome: protester avoids prison sentence
On Tuesday, December 10, 2024, Tiziano L., 24, was sentenced to two years of suspended prison time by an Italian court. Arrested during a demonstration in support of Palestine and Lebanon in Rome on October 5, he was accused of assaulting a police officer. Index’s counter-investigation into the circumstances of Tiziano L.’s arrest contradicted the police version of events. Submitted as evidence in court, the investigation served as a basis for discussion during the trial. According to Tiziano L.’s lawyer, it helped secure “the best possible outcome” in the case, resulting in his conditional release.
Two-year suspended sentence: after two months of house arrest, Tiziano L. walked away free from the courthouse in Rome following the verdict on December 10. He had been accused of kicking a police officer, Luigi C., and causing him to fall and injure his pelvis during the October 5 protest in the Italian capital.
On November 12, in partnership with the Italian newspaper Il Manifesto, Index published a counter-investigation into Tiziano L.’s arrest. By analyzing the numerous available videos of the event frame by frame in a 3D model, the investigation refuted several aspects of the police narrative. Notably, it showed that Tiziano L. did not kick the officer, and that both the protester and officer fell as a result of an action initiated by Luigi C., who tried to prevent Tiziano from exiting the crowd during a police charge.
The Index investigation, which also revealed that Tiziano L. was struck by multiple officers while on the ground, was admitted into evidence and contributed to courtroom debates. Nonetheless, the prosecution portrayed Tiziano L. as responsible for “a brutal and violent assault against the police,” seeking a sentence of 3 years and 4 months in prison. The court ultimately handed down a suspended two-year sentence for “resisting a public official” and “causing injury.”
“This was the best-case scenario,” said Tiziano L.’s lawyer, Caterina Calia. “We can’t say it went well, because he was convicted — but he’s free now, and that was far from guaranteed given the current climate,” she told Il Manifesto. Tiziano L. intends to appeal the decision.