ITA: CANNABIS GROWER KILLED IN PRISON

Perugia-Italy 12-23 October 2007

On Friday 12th of October Aldo Bianzino, a 44 years old man living with his companion Roberta in Umbria, in the center of Italy, got arrested because of a small cannabis plantation. According to the report of Emanuele Giordana and Tiziana Guerrisi of Lettera 22, an Italian association of free journalists, they are taken to Perugia and then to the prison.

On Saturday 13 October the lawyer on charge meets Aldo at 2.00 pm and tells Roberta that Bianzino is well and he’s worried about her. But on the next morning, Daniela a friend, is told to hurry to the jail. ”There is a problem “ they tell her. The problem is that Aldo does not breathe anymore and Roberta, visibly under shock, can not even see the body. The clinical studies (ongoing) begin to confirm, some days later, what everybody in the small community of friends of Aldo and Roberta already fear.

According to the rumours there are massive brain and belly injuries, maybe a couple of broken ribs , even though the body did not show blood signs and bruises . “there is enough to last the first hasty lecture of the death, caused by a heart trouble. The story of Aldo Bianzino has contours that are obscure, to say it mildly, and the attorney of Perugia has decided to open an inquiry entrusted to the judge Giuseppe Petrazzini, responsible of the investigation that led to the arrest of Aldo and Roberta.

Everything has started ten days ago.Aldo and Roberta are at Capanne, a hamlet of Pietralunga, not far from Città di Castello (Perugia), as the mobile squad arrests himand takes him to jail in Perugia with the accusation of illegal detention of drugs. Heavy allegations : they talk about 110 small plants and 15 envelops containing grass. Revelations that leave incredulous every single person who knew Aldo since a long time and _don’t believe that Aldo would cultivate hashish to then resell it_ (sic!).

Bianzino would have to meet the judge that makes the inquiry on the next Monday 15 october for the confirmation of the arrest. But at the appointment with the judge he does not come. And it is not clear if in the cell he was alone or with another convict.” Officially he was alone-says lawyer Massimo Zaganelli- because the procedure requires isolation before the meeting with the gip ( judge)”. On the health of the two investigated persons at the moment of arrest Mr.Zaganelli has no doubt:” They were taken to the jail in perfect health and during the trip no hair was torn to them”. The doubts start later:” According to what we know death is to be attributed to a not accidental trauma.”

The lawyer continues to be cautious:” It is not good in these case to make two plus two is four - we are fully confident in the work of the magistrates.”