ITALY: One of Italy's most prominent defendants in a Mafia-linked trial - and a close ally of Prime Minister Mr Silvio Berlusconi - has been nominated to represent the country at the Council of Europe.
Prosecutors earlier this month demanded an 11-year jail term for Marcello Dell'Utri, a senator in Berlusconi's Forza Italia party and former chairman of the prime minister's advertising business, in a trial for suspected dealings with the Mafia.
Opposition politicians have criticised his nomination by Forza Italia to Italy's delegation to the Council of Europe as a bid to extend the EU-wide immunity from prosecution he had enjoyed as a member of the European Parliament until last weekend's election.
The position - one of 18 members of the Italian delegation - confers the same immunity from prosecution as MEPs have in their home country, plus exemption from arrest and prosecution in all other member states.
Dell'Utri, who was found guilty of extortion in April and sentenced to two years in jail, denies all charges against him and says the Mafia case is part of a campaign by leftist magistrates against Mr Berlusconi and his allies.
He is appealing that conviction and under Italian law does not have to go to prison until all appeals are exhausted.
Prosecutors tried in 2002 to have Dell'Utri's immunity lifted as part of a tax investigation.
The case was suspended last year for as long as Mr Berlusconi, who is also named in the investigation, remains prime minister.
Opposition senator Mr Nando Dalla Chiesa, son of a Carabinieri general who was assassinated by the Mafia in 1982, said Dell'Utri's nomination to the Council of Europe was "a perfect snapshot of a political force that has tried to plunder the state."
The 45-member Council of Europe, created to defend democracy, human rights and the rule of law, is due to discuss a report next week on the possible monopolisation of the electronic media and abuse of power in Italy.
Dell'Utri used to work for the Berlusconi family holding company, Fininvest, which owns three of Italy's four main private television channels.