Seven Arrested in Italy Over Anarchist Rail Sabotage During Winter Olympics
Details of the Arrests and Sabotage Incidents
Overview of the Arrests
MILAN, June 16 (Reuters) - Italian police have arrested seven people accused of belonging to an anarchist militant network and carrying out sabotage on a high-speed railway line during the Winter Olympics in February.
In a statement on Tuesday, police said a judge had ordered five suspects to be held in prison and two placed under house arrest. The charges include terrorist association and subversion of the democratic order.
Details of the Railway Sabotage
Rome-Florence High-Speed Rail Attack
Police said two of those arrested were accused of taking part in a February 14 attack on the Rome-Florence high-speed rail line.
According to investigators, the sabotage was carried out using improvised explosive devices, causing severe damage to infrastructure estimated at €455,000 ($528,000).
The attack led to train delays of more than an hour during the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which ran from February 6 to 22.
Claims of Responsibility and Motives
"The sabotage, along with another attack carried out at the same time on the Rome-Naples line, was claimed on the website ispiraazione.noblogs.org, created specifically a few months earlier," police said.
Police added that the anarchist group's statement explicitly referred to the timing of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, as well as to anti-militarist aims and violent attacks on infrastructure.
Wider Network and Further Investigations
Group Structure and Connections
According to police, the group was based in Rome but maintained links with other cells in the cities of Bologna, Milan and Naples.
Ongoing Investigations
Rome prosecutors also issued a number of search warrants against other suspects under investigation in several Italian cities.
Additional Sabotage Claims
Transalpine Pipeline Attack
A 40-page statement posted on the website cited by police also claims responsibility for a sabotage attack on the Transalpine Pipeline in March.
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(Reporting by Emilio Parodi, editing by Keith Weir)
