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WORLD NEWS Thursday 27 February 2020

Trial begins for jailed American pals in Spain opens talks

policeman's slaying with Catalonia over

separatist conflict
By FRANCES D'EMILIO
Associated Press
ROME (AP) — Two former
schoolmates from Cali-
fornia sat impassively in
a crowded courtroom
Wednesday for the start of
their trial for the murder of
a plainclothes Italian po-
liceman while they were
vacationing in Rome last
summer.
In pre-trial court docu-
ments, prosecutors alleged
that Finnegan Lee Elder,
now 20, thrust an 18-centi- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, left, shakes hands
meter (7-inch) knife repeat- Gabriel Natale Hjorth attends the opening of the trial for the with Catalan regional President Quim Torra at the Moncloa
edly into Carabiniere Vice killing of Italian policeman Mario Cerciello Rega in Rome, palace in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020.
Associated Press
Brigadier Mario Cerciello, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. Associated Press
while his friend, Gabriel Na- By BERNAT ARMANGUE government. Torra re-
tale-Hjorth, now 19, scuffled acted in self-defense when At the trial, Ethan and Leah and JOSEPH WILSON peated his demands for
with the officer's partner. he feared the burly Cer- Elder sat tensely in a back Associated Press northeastern Catalonia
The jailed defendants have ciello was strangling him. row, leaning forward to see MADRID (AP) — The Span- to be allowed to hold an
contended they didn't The defense on Wednes- their son. But their view was ish government and the independence referen-
realize the officers were day sought to raise doubts largely blocked by armed separatist leaders of Cat- dum and for the release
plainclothes police but mis- about whether the de- penitentiary police officers alonia formally opened of nine separatist leaders
took them for criminals fol- fendants were mistreated who stood behind the de- talks Wednesday on how who are serving prison
lowing a thwarted cocaine or intimidated when first fendants at all times. to resolve the festering sentences for their role in
sale hours earlier in a Rome brought from their hotel When the defendants were political crisis provoked an illegal 2017 secession
nightlife district. for questioning at a station led out of the courtroom by the region's separatist attempt.
Just a row behind them, house. during a recess, one of the movement. "We have had an hon-
also listening intently but Natale-Hjorth has also told defense lawyers asked if As expected, the three- est and frank debate, an
similarly showing little emo- authorities he acted in self- the parents, who live in San hour meeting between open debate that has
tion, was the widow of defense, alleging that he Francisco, could greet their Prime Minister Pedro Sán- made clear the discrep-
Cerciello, who was killed and his friend were assault- son. Ethan Elder took a few chez and Catalan re- ancies between the two
on a street near the young ed by the police officers, so steps, touched his son light- gional chief Quim Torra sides," Torra said after the
Americans' hotel only days he scuffled with Cerciello's ly on the arm, and pulling and their teams did not meeting. "We made it
after he returned to duty partner, Andrea Varriale. his wife's head close to his, lead to any major break- clear that these are talks
after his honeymoon. The partner suffered kicks stroked her hair in a ges- throughs. The two gov- to deal with the political
The killer "thrust numerous and scratches, according ture of affection their child ernments issued a joint conflict in Catalonia that
blows into his vital organs to prosecutors. could glimpse. He held up statement afterward that is based on the issues of
and fled, heedless to Cerci- Under Italian law, accom- his hand in greeting, first to that they had agreed self-determination and
ello dying," said Prosecutor plices to an alleged mur- Natale-Hjorth, then to their to continue meeting ev- amnesty (for separat-
Marina Sabina Calabretta. derer can also be charged son. ery month, alternating ist prisoners), and we still
Elder, according to pre-trial with the murder itself. Italy's "With the truth will come between Madrid and don't have an answer
documents, admitted to stiffest criminal punishment justice,'' Ethan Elder said to Barcelona, the home from the Spanish govern-
the stabbing but said he is life imprisonment. reporters. q to the regional Catalan ment." q