At the end of April, French President Macron arrested seven former members of the Italian revolutionary organisation "Red Brigades".
The Red Brigades were a revolutionary organisation active in Italy from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s. They organised workers in the factories and waged an armed struggle against the old Italian state. This involved kidnappings and liquidations, including of e.g. the then Prime Minister Aldo Moro.
Since 1985, former Red Brigadists could apply for asylum in France as long as they were not wanted for murder or other "blood crimes". What the seven people were arrested for is not entirely clear. Macron merely said that he understood that justice must be done for the victims. In the background, however, strong pressure is said to have been exerted by Italy to arrest the former members. Again and again there have been such efforts on Italy's part and even convictions of people who are, however, still in France. The so-called "Mitterand Doctrine", which was introduced in 1985 and grants political asylum to the former members, has repeatedly led to tensions in the relationship between the two states since its introduction. The task now is to wait for the 5th of May, when the hearings are due to begin. Incidentally, the French police have not managed to locate all those wanted and are still searching.
On and before this year's 1st of May, there were also solidarity actions for the detainees. On the banner is written "against the revenge of the state against the italian exiles".
