BELGIUM/ITALY: TOP EU JUSTICE OFFICIAL RECEIVES THREATENING LETTER CARRYING LARGE NAZI SWASTIKA.

Record ID: 646800

  • Title: BELGIUM/ITALY: TOP EU JUSTICE OFFICIAL RECEIVES THREATENING LETTER CARRYING LARGE NAZI SWASTIKA.
  • Date: 28th January 2005
  • Summary: (EU) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (JANUARY 27, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: ENTRANCE TO THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION 0.03 2. GV/PAN: FRANCO FRATTINI, EUROPEAN JUSTICE, FREEDOM AND SECURITY COMMISSIONER, ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE 0.09 3. LV: FRATTININ ADDRESSING NEWS CONFERENCE 0.14 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRANCO FRATTINI SAYING: "I will continue to work even with greater determination after this letter threatening me. I believe that the only right response to such a threat is to continue to carry out the job with full determination, with full commitment." 5. JOURNALISTS 6. FRATTINI LEAVING THE NEWS CONFERENCE AND SPEAKING WITH JOURNALISTS 7. REPORTERS TAKING NOTES 8. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) FRANCO FRATTINI SAYING: "The Presidency (of Luxembourg) has the intention to tackle at the February Council the issue of the framework decision on racism, including the interdiction of all Nazi symbols. I believe that we should say that the interdiction concerns and consists of a punishment of all behaviour and acts that may evoke the drama of Nazism (that could be referred to Nazism)." 9. FRATTINI TALKING TO JOURNALISTS 10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRANCO FRATTINI SAYING: "The Presidency aims at putting on the table these issues in the February formal council of the interior ministers, including the issue of the ban. Ban means punishment for behaviours, punishment for actions." 1.55 11. GV/PAN: FRATTINI LEAVING 2.02 (W3) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (JANUARY 27, 2005) (REUTERS/INTERNET- ACCESS ALL) 12. VARIOUS: MAN BROWSING NAZI SITES ON THE INTERNET; NAZI ART POSTERS ON THE INTERNET; WEBSITE ADVERTISING "MILITARIA SOUVENIR"; PICTURE OF THE HEAD OF HITLER; NAZI RINGS; NAZI ACTIVIST GIVING A SPEECH ON THE INTERNET (7 SHOTS) 2.46 (W3) ROME, ITALY (JANUARY 27, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 13. GV/CU: LA STAMPA NEWSPAPER HEADLINES AND COPY OF FRATTINI LETTER (4 SHOTS) 3.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 12th February 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM/ ROME, ITALY
  • City:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Reuters ID: LVA1AX1YERAVHTS5A5EIAKYVWOYU
  • Story Text: The European Union's top justice official says he is
    determined to fight racism and intolerance in Europe
    despite receiving a threatening letter carrying a large
    Nazi swastika.



    The European Union's top justice official said on
    Thursday (January 27) he was determined to fight racism and
    intolerance in Europe despite receiving a threatening
    letter carrying a large Nazi swastika.

    The letter, which carried a British postal stamp, said
    the EU's Justice, Freedom and Security Commissioner, Franco
    Frattini, would never succeed in fighting Nazism in Europe.

    "I will continue to work even with greater
    determination after this letter threatening me. The only
    right response to such a threat is to continue to carry out
    the job with full determination," Frattini told a news
    conference in Brussels."
    Italian daily newspaper La Stampa printed a copy of the
    note, which it said Frattini received on Wednesday (January 26)
    morning
    in an envelope with a post mark from Dorset,
    southern England.

    It was addressed to "Franco Frattini, Minister for
    Justice" in English.

    "BAN THE SWASTIKA? POLITICAL PIGMIES LIKE YOU WILL
    NEVER BEATS (sic) NATIONAL SOCIALISM!" read the typed text
    in imperfect Italian next to the red and black Nazi symbol.

    Last week, Frattini said he would be happy to discuss a
    Europe-wide ban on Nazi insignia after Britain's Prince
    Harry caused outrage by wearing a swastika armband and a
    Nazi costume at a fancy dress party.

    Frattini said the threat made against him showed the
    need for the EU to act against racism and xenophobia.

    EU justice and interior ministers are due to resume
    negotiations on proposals aimed at harmonising national
    laws banning racist and xenophobic crimes. The proposals
    were tabled in 2001, but Italy has so far blocked an
    agreement.



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