Crime news
Youssef Siher leaves San Vittore Prison in Milan
Crime news
Meloni Calls Milan Judge’s Ruling “Shameful” After Court Releases Siher
Milan’s court condemns the Prime Minister’s criticism as “unacceptable.” The judges’ association warns of intimidation, while government allies accuse the judge of pro-Palestinian activism.
Youssef Siher, a researcher who founded the Instagram page “October 17 Movement,” has been released from custody. The judge found no flight risk, no incitement to guerrilla warfare and no call to attack the state. Under the law, Milan’s court concluded there were no grounds to validate his arrest or impose precautionary measures, let alone keep him in jail.
The ruling triggered an immediate backlash from the government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who called it “shameful.” Milan’s court responded with a sharply worded statement: “Shame belongs to other areas of social life, not to the responsible and difficult exercise of judicial authority.”
The clash has escalated into a political confrontation, reigniting debate over the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary.
In a video posted on social media, Meloni expressed outrage at the decision, calling it “an intolerable affront to the work of law enforcement, investigators, the Interior Ministry and all those who strive to protect law-abiding citizens” from urban destruction and looting.
She linked Siher’s Instagram page to the violence and looting during the weekend of October 17 and 18. When reporters pointed out at a news conference on the government’s budget that the account had been created after the clashes, she brushed off the discrepancy with a brief apology: “I used the wrong verb tense.” Her anger over the ruling, however, remained undiminished.
News of Siher’s release broke late yesterday morning. With a Cabinet meeting scheduled for 3 p.m., ministers debated how the government should respond. Some considered sending inspectors to investigate, but Justice Minister Carlo Nordio and Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano ruled out the move.
“There have been no procedural violations,” they reportedly said.
Government officials are now looking to Milan prosecutors to appeal the decision. A prosecutor’s request for precautionary measures and a judge’s rejection of that request are normal features of criminal proceedings. But officials at the Prime Minister’s office believe the case exposes divisions within Milan’s judiciary, reflecting not only the defeat of the government’s judicial reform referendum but also what they describe as an ongoing “factional war” over the next election of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, the body that governs Italy’s magistracy.
As Meloni attacked the ruling, Milan’s court defended judicial independence, stressing that a judge “cannot be influenced by political expectations.” Statements by some politicians, the court said, “are unacceptable and reveal a poor understanding of the legal principles underpinning a state governed by the rule of law.” Those who disagree with a ruling, it added, can appeal.
Nordio chose his words carefully, saying he was “surprised” by the decision of Judge Tiziana Landoni. Sources at the Interior Ministry said that, although the ruling was “absolutely unacceptable” to them, it “does not affect our commitment to preventing and combating the acts of violence seen in recent weeks.”
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini went further, questioning whether the judge had ruled “free from any outside influence or personal convictions.” Other government figures argued that the decision was “dictated by her pro-Palestinian activism.”
They pointed to an appeal issued by legal scholars for Gaza in September 2025, signed by Landoni alongside more than 3,000 judges, lawyers and professors. Among the signatories was prosecutor Crupi, who had ordered Siher’s arrest.
The National Association of Magistrates condemned Meloni’s remarks as “an unrestrained attack.” It added: “The delegitimization of colleagues is a familiar form of intimidation that has no place in a state governed by the rule of law.”
Meloni responded immediately: “I believe in the rule of law, which above all means protecting law-abiding citizens from violent individuals.”
Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, leader of Forza Italia, which has long presented itself as the government’s champion of civil liberties and due process, took a similar position. Releasing Siher, he said, “was a serious mistake.”
Opposition parties also pushed back. Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein addressed the Prime Minister directly: “We’ll send you back to the opposition, where you can take the judicial entrance exam and fulfill your dream of replacing judges.”
Giuseppe Conte, leader of the Five Star Movement, also criticized Meloni. “She was appointed to a political role. She should be dealing with Italians’ problems. Is it possible for her to do nothing but political campaigning?”
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