Key facts
- Italy's ruling parties are seeking a presidential pardon for jeweler Mario Roggero.
- Roggero was convicted of killing two robbers and wounding a third during a 2021 incident.
- His 14-year, 9-month sentence was upheld by Italy's supreme court.
- The ruling coalition argues the sentence is unfair due to Roggero's age of 72.
- Roggero has turned himself in to begin serving his sentence.
Italy's ruling coalition is advocating for a presidential pardon for a 72-year-old jeweler, Mario Roggero, who was convicted of killing two robbers after they raided his shop in 2021. The coalition, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's party and the League, argues that imposing a prison sentence on Roggero, given his age, would be disproportionate. Roggero shot the two men and wounded a third after they entered his jewelry store in northern Italy, armed with a toy gun and a knife. Italy's supreme court recently rejected an appeal against his 14-year, 9-month sentence, upholding previous rulings that he had exceeded the bounds of legitimate self-defense because the immediate threat had passed. Supporters of Roggero, including League leader Matteo Salvini, believe he was defending his life and property. The case has sparked significant public debate in Italy, with opinions divided on whether Roggero's actions constituted legitimate self-defense or an excessive use of force. Roggero has maintained his innocence and turned himself in to begin serving his sentence. In parallel, Italy's lower house of parliament approved Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's hotly debated electoral law by 217 votes to 152. The reform, which aims to replace the current mixed electoral system with a fully proportional model and guarantee a governing majority to coalitions winning over 42 percent of the vote, now moves to the Senate. Opposition parties have attacked the proposal as a power grab, with Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein stating Meloni has betrayed Italians.