Italian court scraps trial against US soldier

Europe News

Oct 25, 2007, 12:24 GMT

Rome - A court in Italy cancelled Thursday the trial of a United States soldier accused of the 2005 shooting of a top Italian intelligence official at a checkpoint in Iraq, an incident that strained Rome's relations with Washington. The Rome court ruled it did not have the jurisdiction to try Mario Lozano whose trial for the killing of Nicola Calipari began in April, the ANSA news agency reported, citing judicial sources. On March 4, 2005 Calipari was accompanying to a Baghdad airport Giuliana Sgrena - a kidnapped Italian journalist whose release he negotiated - when their car was hit by bullets. Lozano, who was being tried in absentia, has said he had no choice but to fire at Calipari's vehicle as it approached at high speed a checkpoint on the main road leading to the Baghdad airport. Sgrena, who was injured in the shooting and has denied that their car was travelling at high speed, said Thursday' ruling was 'incredible.' 'American arrogance which did not want this trial has won,' Sgrena, who followed Thursday's court ruling, was quoted as saying by the Adnkronos news agency. 'The decision is incredible. It is inconceivable that we do not want to do justice for Calipari. He was celebrated as a hero when he returned to Italy [from Iraq] in a coffin, but it seems Italy doesn't want to know what really happened,' she said. 'To Lozano I have nothing to say. I wanted to know the truth and he could have told us,' Sgrena said. Lozano's lawyer Alberto Biffani said he was satisfied with Thursday's ruling, also because it had 'corrected a legal error.' Biffani had argued Italian courts did not have the jurisdiction to try Lozano because Italy has adhered to a United Nations Security Council resolution by which members of the multinational force in Iraq are to be tried by the judiciary of their country of origin. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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