Berlusconi to make fresh EP bid at human rights court
'Not formal appeal' say supporters
08 April, 18:18
(ANSA) - Rome, April 8 - Italy's most iconic, controversial
and unsinkable conservative politician, ex-premier Silvio
Berlusconi, is to make another bid at the European Court of
Human Rights to overturn his ban from running in upcoming
European Parliament elections.Announcing the move, representatives of his revived centre-right Forza Italia party provided no details other than saying it was not another formal appeal - after an initial one was partially rebuffed.
"It is not another appeal," said Deborah Bergamini, dodging questions on the initiative that will be presented to the court on Wednesday. The media magnate became ineligible to stand for election or to vote in the May 25 poll after being ejected from the Italian Senate following a binding conviction for tax fraud at his media empire last year. Berlusconi is already appealing to the Strasbourg court against a six-year ban from office incurred under the 2012 anti-corruption law that saw him ousted as a result of the same conviction last autumn.
Berlusconi has vainly claimed the law was being applied retroactively, and therefore against the Italian Constitution.
