Symbols of the history of the Italian Republic, judges Giovanni Falcone, Francesca Morvillo, and Paolo Borsellino were remembered at Asinara, the place that 40 years ago hosted the two magistrates, suddenly transferred to the island with their families for safety. It was the summer of 1985, and the magistrates, killed in the 1992 massacres, were preparing the mega-trial that would deal a severe blow to Cosa Nostra.
A two-day event titled "Giovanni Falcone, Paolo Borsellino, and Francesca Morvillo: Justice is Democracy," organized by the Sardinian Sectional Executive Council, in collaboration with the Legality Commission of the Central Steering Committee of the National Association of Magistrates, the Asinara National Park - Marine Protected Area, the Region of Sardinia, and the Municipality of Porto Torres. The event opened with a written message from President Sergio Mattarella, a powerful message read by the President of the Sardinian National Magistrates' Association, Andrea Vacca, reaffirming the absolute importance of the fight against the Mafia and the role played by the Italian judiciary in combating it in recent years.
"The Maxi Trial represents a fundamental milestone in Italian justice and the fight against organized crime. Falcone and Borsellino's contribution was crucial," the Head of State emphasized, "with the tireless work of magistrates and law enforcement, in demonstrating the existence of Cosa Nostra as a unified organization with a hierarchical structure and aberrant principles." And again: "The courage and selflessness of those who made this outcome possible," Mattarella wrote, "are an indelible testimony of fidelity to constitutional values. The memory of their example is a source of inspiration for every citizen."
The first day of the ANM conference was attended, in addition to various civil and military authorities, by the President of the Sardinia Region, Alessandra Todde; the President and Director of the Asinara National Park, Gianluca Mureddu and Vittorio Gazale; the mayors of Porto Torres and Stintino; and high school students from the Castelvì and Devilla secondary schools in Sassari. ANM member Giuseppe Tango was present for the conference. Guests included Luigi Patronaggio, Attorney General of Cagliari; Lia Sava, Attorney General of the Palermo Court of Appeal; Fernando Asaro, Public Prosecutor of Marsala; and Antonio Balsamo, Deputy Attorney General of the Court of Cassation.
Also notable are the video messages from the Attorney General of the Supreme Court, Pietro Gaeta; the National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor, Giovanni Melillo; the Palermo Public Prosecutor, Maurizio De Lucia; and the President of the Palermo Court, Piergiorgio Morosini. The atmosphere of those years is also captured in a video remembrance by former magistrates, Leonardo Guarnotta, Giuseppe Di Lello, and Gian Carlo Caselli. Tomorrow, Sunday, October 5th, marks the second day of the event, with a roundtable discussion featuring the relatives of Falcone and Borsellino.
