Ilaria Salis (born 17 June 1984) is an Italian politician, activist, and teacher. She was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 2024 for the Green and Left Alliance.
Ilaria Salis | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of the European Parliament for North-West Italy | |
| Assumed office 16 July 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 June 1984 Milan, Italy |
| Political party | Greens and Left Alliance |
| Alma mater | University of Milan |
| Occupation | Teacher |
Personal life
editSalis was born on 17 June 1984 and grew up in Monza, Italy.[1] She received a undergraduate degree in history at the University of Milan, graduating in December 2005.[1] After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked as a primary school teacher.[1] In 2021 she obtained a Master's degree in philology, literature and history of antiquity from the University of Milan.[1]
Arrest and detention
editOn 11 February 2023, Salis was arrested in Hungary, after alleged assaults on neo-Nazis at a far-right event in Budapest.[2][3] She was charged with three counts of attempted assault and accused of being part of an extreme left-wing organization.[4] She denied the charges[4] and the alleged victims of the attacks reportedly did not file reports with police.[3]
Amid rising public outrage in her home country, the Italian government protested the shackling of Salis with chains around her hand and feet for her trial appearance.[4][5] On 19 December 2023, seven Italian MEPs with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats accused the Hungarian government of holding her "bound by the neck in a cell with mice and cockroaches" and argued that the "injuries of the two assaulted individuals who reported her were only minor".[6] Salis wrote that she spent "23 hours out of 24 in a completely closed cell".[4]
In May 2024, she was released from prison and transferred to house arrest in Budapest.[4][7]
Election to the European Parliament
editIn June 2024, Salis was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Green and Left Alliance, obtaining more than 170,000 votes.[8][3] As a MEP, she gained legal immunity and was released from house arrest, finally returning to Italy.[3]
She plans to leverage her role to advocate for the rights of incarcerated individuals, address the housing shortage, and tackle the issue of excessive rental costs.[9]
References
edit
- ^ a b c d Salis, Ilaria. "ILARIA SALIS - Curriculum Vitae" (PDF). interno.gov.it. Ministero dell'Interno. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ Peseckyte, Giedre (16 June 2024). "Newly elected MEP Ilaria Salis returns to Italy from detention in Hungary". Politico. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Italian activist freed from Hungary returns home after being elected to European Parliament". AP News. 15 June 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Tondo, Lorenzo (14 June 2024). "Italian activist freed from Budapest house arrest after being elected MEP". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ Mario Di Vito (2 February 2024). "Ilaria Salis, chained like an animal, stands before a Hungarian judge". Il Manifesto - global edition.
- ^ "Parliamentary question | Case of Ilaria Salis, detained in Hungary, and human rights in Hungarian prisons | E-003713/2023". European Parliament. Archived from the original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ "Hungary grants house arrest to jailed Italian activist running for EU election". reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ "Ilaria Salis has been elected to EU parliament - AVS". Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata. Archived from the original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ Tondo, Lorenzo (25 June 2024). "'It was a very tough period': Italian antifascist MEP Ilaria Salis on her 15-month detention in Hungary". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 July 2024.