Appeal likely in murder case against soldier

[unhappycamper]

Appeal likely in murder case against soldier
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Jan 4, 2008 10:41:00 EST

ROME — Italian prosecutors will probably appeal a court’s ruling that Italy had no jurisdiction in the case against a U.S. soldier charged in the 2005 killing of an Italian intelligence agent in Iraq, a leading prosecutor said Friday.

Spc. Mario Lozano had been trial in Rome in absentia on charges of murder and attempted murder, following the shooting death in Baghdad of Nicola Calipari. But in October, a Rome court threw out the case against Lozano, granting the defense’s argument that Italy had no jurisdiction.

“We are examining” whether to appeal to a higher court, leading prosecutor Franco Ionta said, adding that he was reading the judges’ reasoning for the October ruling released Friday.

He said that while a final decision had not been made, the appeal was “likely.”

The case has been an irritant to Italian-U.S. relations, and the October decision rekindled anger at perceived lack of U.S. cooperation in the investigations that followed the incident.



Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/ap_lozano_080104/