A large inscription in red paint reading "Nordio, I'll put you in an R4," alongside a five-pointed star and the initials of the Red Brigades, appeared on a wall in the capital, on Via Portuense, not far from a Carabinieri barracks. The words bring to mind the red Renault 4 in which, on May 9, 1978, the body of Aldo Moro was found after 55 days of captivity.
The alarm was raised this morning, although investigators believe the threats had been there for several days, as several local residents reported. The Carabinieri from the Villa Bonelli station and the EUR company unit launched an investigation, analyzing footage from a wide range of surveillance cameras and collecting testimony from people who live and work in the area. The inscription may have been made under cover of darkness. Once the inspection was complete, the writing was removed.
The incident prompted bipartisan solidarity from the political world, with messages of support for the minister arriving from the government team, institutions, and opposition figures alike. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described it as "an extremely serious and unacceptable act of intimidation." "The reference to the darkest years of terrorism and the Red Brigades is something that must be condemned with the utmost firmness, without any ambiguity," the President of the Council stressed.
The Minister of Justice also received a phone call from President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella — whom he officially thanked, noting that "the privilege of serving the State is worth the risk we all run" — as well as expressions of solidarity from the judiciary, including the CSM and the ANM, which described the threats as "hateful" and stated that "the competent authorities will know how to shed full light on the matter."
Meanwhile, the minister himself says he is not afraid.
"Forty-five years ago, when I was conducting investigations into the Veneto column of the Red Brigades, I received threatening letters signed with the five-pointed star," he recalled. "I was not intimidated then, as a young magistrate, and I am even less so now as an elderly minister."
Following the incident, his security detail, already at the highest level, has been further heightened. In particular, increased attention has been placed on the Minister of Justice, with enhanced surveillance around the ministry headquarters as well.
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