“Chico Forti will return to Italy”: the announcement of Minister Di Maio. The former television producer had been in prison for 20 years

“I have great news to give you: Chico Forti He will return to Italy. I have just communicated this to the family and I have informed the President of the Republic and the President of the Council. In fact, the Governor of Florida accepted Chico’s request to take advantage of the benefits provided by the Strasbourg Convention and be transferred to Italy. “Chancellor Luigi Di Maio has thus announced, in a post on Facebook, the forthcoming return to Italy of the former Italian television producer and former sailor detained in the United States for 20 years. “This is an extremely important result, which rewards long and patient political and diplomatic work. We have never forgotten Chico Forti, who will finally be able to return to his country close to his loved ones ”, added Di Maio.

The Trentino businessman, who has always pleaded not guilty, was arrested by US authorities in 1998 and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2000 by a Florida court, charged with premeditated murder. To solve his case, they also thought about asking for forgiveness just a year ago. A year ago, Forti had just written to Di Maio to thank him for his commitment. “Mr Di Maio, in fact Luigi, as I already consider him a friend, already has the right to request the commutation of the sentence because Italy is on credit. We have released several US citizens imprisoned in Italy with sentences equivalent to mine (…). Why can’t I get the same treatment? I spent twenty years in chains for a crime that I did not commit. What I want is to go back to Italy, live the rest of my life as a free citizen ”, and“ I ask for justice. A justice that was blatantly denied by the country that proclaims itself a leader of human rights ”. Forti, now 60, was convicted of the murder of Dale Pike, the 40-year-old Australian son of Tony, who owns the Pike Hotel. Forti met the man who had just landed at the Miami airport. Twenty-four hours later the body of the Australian is found dead with two 22 caliber pistol shots in the head on the beach. Forti had been one of his last contacts.