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Vatican leaks scandal: Five face trial in Holy See Vatican leaks scandal: Five go on trial in Holy See
(about 7 hours later)
Five people have gone on trial in the Vatican accused of leaking and publishing secret documents revealing mismanagement in the Holy See. Five people, including two investigative journalists and a Spanish priest, have gone on trial in the Vatican over the leaking and publication of secret documents.
Two journalists who cited the documents in two books will face the tribunal, along with two members of a papal commission and an assistant. The journalists, who recently published books about financial waste and wrongdoing at the Vatican, accused the Holy See of attacking press freedom.
If convicted, they could be jailed for up to eight years. If convicted, all five could be jailed for up to eight years.
Media groups have condemned the trial. One of the journalists charged called it "an attack on press freedom". The Vatican says the writers tried to put pressure on its staff.
The journalists, Emiliano Fittipaldi and Gianluigi Nuzzi, featured allegations of the misuse of charitable and other funds in their books Merchants in the Temple and Avarice. Spanish priest Msgr Angelo Lucio Vallejo Balda and public relations expert Francesca Chaouqui were part of a special reform commission set up by Pope Francis to tackle the Vatican's financial holdings and propose reforms to improve cash flow to the poor.
The allegations included the lavish refurbishment of apartments for cardinals and others. The priest's secretary Nicola Maio has also been accused.
The three accused of leaking the documents are Spanish priest Msgr Angelo Lucio Vallejo Balda, his secretary and an Italian public relations expert who sat on a commission that advised the Pope on economic reform. The journalists, Emiliano Fittipaldi and Gianluigi Nuzzi, bitterly criticised the Vatican's decision to put them on trial for publishing their books, Avarice and Merchants in the Temple.
Mr Nuzzi condemned the trial as "Kafkaesque and absurd", complaining that he had not been given a chance to read the indictment and had only met his court-appointed lawyer shortly before proceedings began.
Risky trial - by Caroline Wyatt, BBC religious affairs correspondent, RomeRisky trial - by Caroline Wyatt, BBC religious affairs correspondent, Rome
The danger of this trial for the Vatican is that it will make it look vengeful and draw even more attention to the allegations contained in the books.The danger of this trial for the Vatican is that it will make it look vengeful and draw even more attention to the allegations contained in the books.
One of the journalists has started tweeting the hashtag #NoInquisition, and has gained much sympathy from supporters of freedom of speech and the freedom of the press, including from the international security body, the OSCE. The journalists were attending the trial voluntarily - the Vatican has no legal powers to force them, unless it moves to extradite them from Italy. One of the journalists tweeted with the hashtag #NoInquisition. They were attending the trial voluntarily as the Vatican has no legal powers to force them, unless it moves to extradite them from Italy.
The other question is what the Vatican hopes to achieve. One key question is what the Vatican hopes to achieve.
If the journalists were found guilty, and given a jail sentence, it would create a bizarre diplomatic situation. The Vatican has only four holding cells and no long-term prison.If the journalists were found guilty, and given a jail sentence, it would create a bizarre diplomatic situation. The Vatican has only four holding cells and no long-term prison.
It would also need to extradite the journalists from Italy for something that is not a crime in Italy, and then ask Italy to imprison them. Italian law protects press freedom, unlike the laws of the Holy See.It would also need to extradite the journalists from Italy for something that is not a crime in Italy, and then ask Italy to imprison them. Italian law protects press freedom, unlike the laws of the Holy See.
And with a "holy year of mercy" starting this December, the Vatican also risks looking rather less than merciful when its dirty laundry is aired in public.And with a "holy year of mercy" starting this December, the Vatican also risks looking rather less than merciful when its dirty laundry is aired in public.
Vatican leaks lift the lid on Pope's financial battleVatican leaks lift the lid on Pope's financial battle
Vatican reforms may be starting to biteVatican reforms may be starting to bite
'Kafka-esque' The court rejected an attempt by Mr Fittipaldi to have the case thrown out on the grounds that the case against him was unclear.
Media groups have urged the Vatican to drop the charges. What he was accused of doing would not be considered criminal in Italy, Mr Nuzzi argued. "Publishing news is protected by the Italian constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights and the universal declaration of human rights," he said.
Much of Vatican criminal law dates back to an 1889 Italian penal code but a law criminalising the leaking of documents was introduced in 2013 in the wake of an earlier scandal involving the papal butler, dubbed Vat leaks.
Media groups have urged the Vatican to drop the charges, along with international security body, the OSCE.
However, the Vatican prosecutor said it was not publishing freedom that was on trial but the journalists' "illicit behaviour".
The Vatican says the two books give a "partial and tendentious" version of events.
In Avarice, Emiliano Fittipaldi says "crazy" sums were spent on business class flights and furniture. Gianluigi Nuzzi's Merchants in the Temple describes a pattern of financial mismanagement and greed at the heart of the Vatican.
Nina Ognianova, of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said: "Journalists should be allowed to carry out their role as watchdog and investigate alleged wrongdoing without fear of repercussions."Nina Ognianova, of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said: "Journalists should be allowed to carry out their role as watchdog and investigate alleged wrongdoing without fear of repercussions."
The journalists involved called the trial "Kafka-esque", saying neither they or their lawyers had seen details of the charges.
Mr Fittipaldi said: "This is a trial against freedom of the press. In no other part of the world, at least in the part of the world that considers itself democratic, is there a crime of a scoop, a crime of publishing news."
The rapidity with which the Vatican has moved to charge the five stands in sharp contrast to the length of time it has taken to help bring many priests accused of child sex abuse to trial, our correspondent says.
Apart from Msgr Vallejo Balda, Vatican authorities have also charged the Spanish priest's assistant Nicola Maio, and PR expert Francesca Chaouqui.
The special reform commission they were serving was set up by Pope Francis to tackle the Vatican's financial holdings and propose reforms to improve cash flow to the poor.