Rome, Dec. 30 (LaPresse) – “I met Mr. Mohammad Hannoun only once and for a few minutes. On May 12, 2022, he was in Rome for an event in memory of Palestinian-American television journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed in Jenin while doing her job during an Israeli army raid. On that occasion, he asked to meet me and other parliamentarians. The meeting took place privately in my office and lasted a few minutes, during which Hannoun, whom I did not know, spoke to me about the risks journalists face working in Palestine. I replied that I had already planned a speech in Parliament on the Shireen Abu Akleh case, which I delivered a few days later. At the end of the meeting, Hannoun asked for a photo, the one everyone knows, which he then posted on his social media. From that moment on, there has never been any further contact with Mr. Hannoun—neither in person, nor by phone, nor by email, nor at public events. None.”
This is what Laura Boldrini, former Speaker of the Chamber, said in an interview with l’Unità. “Politicians meet hundreds of people, and many of them ask for photos, often even on the street, spontaneously. This does not mean that one has any relationship with those people or ‘fawns over them,’ as some right-wing outlets have written. At this point, however, anyone continuing this defamatory campaign against me will be held accountable in the appropriate forums. The judiciary, in which I have full trust, will clarify the responsibilities of those arrested. It is right that investigations are carried out when there are founded suspicions. The campaign against me is not new, but now it is time to say enough and to clarify the facts.”