VATICAN RADIO AWAITS EXPLANATION OF NEW COURT VERDICT

VATICAN CITY, APR 10, 2003 (VIS) - Made public yesterday afternoon was a communique from the management of Vatican Radio regarding the latest developments in the case against the radio for the alleged electromagnetic contamination produced by the transmitting station of Santa Maria di Galeria, a few kilometers outside Rome.

A year ago the sentence issued by Rome's penal court established that proceedings should not continue due to the "lack of jurisdiction" over the three directors of Vatican Radio accused over the alleged electromagnetic contamination of the transmitters.

Yesterday's communique from Vatican Radio noted the "annulment" of the earlier sentence. The communique reads as follows:

"In today's sentence the Supreme Court of Cassation, First Penal Section, annulled the sentence of February 19, 2002 handed down by the Penal Court of Rome, First Section, which declared a 'lack of jurisdiction' with regard to the three directors of Vatican Radio relative to the electromagnetic emissions produced by the transmitting center at Santa Maria in Galeria, and it sent the new judgement to the Rome court.

"Vatican Radio lawyers, who opposed the request to annul the above-mentioned sentence, have already shown the unfounded nature of the motives of impugnment adopted by the Public Prosecutor and by the civil side, on the basis of the nature of the pontifical transmitter as a 'central office of the Catholic Church' and as such it is exempt from 'every interference on the part of the Italian State', according to Article 11 of the Lateran Treaty of 1929.

"Vatican Radio takes note of the Court's decision and is waiting to learn the motivation of the sentence which will be filed.

"Vatican Radio repeats in any case that it has always taken into account the international recommendations for protecting the population in the matter of electromagnetic emissions and has faced in a constructive manner the problems linked with the new Italian norms in the office of the bilateral commission between the Italian State and the Holy See, as shown by the results of the repeated joint measurements undertaken by Italian and Vatican technicians.

"Vatican Radio therefore hopes that the unjust accusations in its regard may soon be removed from the horizon, and that its activity may continue with serenity in the context of a responsible and correct relation with Italian authorities and the neighboring population, reassured about the absence of health risks."

RV;COURT RULING;...;...;VIS;20030410;Word: 400;