In recent days, an investigation was opened in Sardinia for propaganda and incitement to crime, and for violations of landscape and environmental regulations, following the posting of anti-Israeli signs in Su Giudeu, a gem in the municipality of Domus de Maria. The signs read (in Hebrew and English): "War criminals are not welcome in Sardinia, and are subject to prosecution." The reference, needless to say, is to the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
The prosecutor in charge of the case, however, rejected the request to validate the seizure and the preliminary investigation, deeming both allegations of crime advanced by the police to be unfounded. According to the Libertade association, which released a statement on the matter, the magistrate emphasized that " Article 604-bis punishes discriminatory propaganda only when it translates into a concrete activity capable of influencing the behavior of others, pushing them toward unlawful conduct motivated by discriminatory intent. In this specific case, however, it involved the simple display of a sign that made critical reference to the situation in the Middle East."
The poster, the prosecutor specified, condemned alleged conduct attributable to war crimes, but did not constitute any incitement to hatred or discrimination against Israeli citizens. Therefore, the writing fell within the exercise of freedom of thought, a constitutionally protected right .
Regarding the alleged violation of landscape regulations, the magistrate ruled out the possibility of a crime, emphasizing that there had been no physical intervention in a protected or restricted area, but merely the temporary posting of a poster over an existing sign. The Libertade association welcomed the prosecutor's decision, denouncing what it calls a "reprehensible practice": "the improper use of criminal law to limit freedom of thought and political action." In the statement, the group also criticized what it considers a form of indirect collusion with Israeli policies to the detriment of the Palestinian people.
(Unioneonline/vf)