On Thursday, Italian President Sergio Mattarella pardoned former South Tyrolean assassin Heinrich Oberleiter, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Italy. The 80-year-old’s three children turned to Mattarella in 2018 and applied for a pardon. The Oberleiter, who lives in Germany, belonged to the group of “Pusterer Buam” who were responsible for attacks in Italy in the 1960s. Austria’s Federal President has also spoken out in favor of an amnesty in the past and tried to mediate.
Oberleitner was pardoned with six other people on Thursday. These are likely to be the last pardons from Mattarella, whose seven-year term as president expires next February. Oberleiter can now return to South Tyrol. In accepting the pardon, the Italian president took into account that Oberleiter’s actions did not result in deaths, a letter from Mattarella’s office said Appeal for clemency was attached, expressed his opposition to the violence and deep regret for the victims of all the attacks during this time and for the pain inflicted on their families. The senior manager’s old age, as well as the positive opinion of the responsible public prosecutor, motivated Mattarella to pardon the South Tyrolean. Petition for clemency from the children Due to the petition for clemency by the children of the headmaster, Mattarella had requested an opinion from the Brescia public prosecutor. The last conviction of Oberleiter was in Brescia in 1971. In February 2019, the Brescia public prosecutor’s office agreed to the pardon of the former South Tyrol activist. 1968 Escape abroad Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen had raised the issue of Oberleiter’s pardon again last June at his meeting with Mattarella. Oberleiter had been sentenced to life imprisonment for various attacks in the 1960s by the Bologna and Florence jury courts. He fled abroad in 1968, where, according to his lawyer, he has led an exemplary life for 50 years.
source site-12