Bruni: ‘Pugnacious’

Paris, Oct. 15: Carla Bruni and her sister have persuaded Nicolas Sarkozy not to extradite a woman who faces life imprisonment for murder to her native Italy, sparking anger amongst her victims’ families.

In a sign of her influence over her husband’s decision-making, the Italian-born First Lady — along with her sister — convinced the French President to drop a court order to deport exiled Red Brigades terrorist Marina Petrella to Rome.

Her personal intervention and the presidential U-turn sparked anger in Italy, which has been seeking Petrella’s extradition from France since she fled after being freed on bail in 1986.

Petrella was found guilty in absentia by an Italian court in 1992 of murder, kidnapping, attempted kidnapping and armed robbery.

A French court approved her extradition in December and an order to send her back to Italy had been signed by the Prime Minister. But after “pugnacious” lobbying by Sarkozy’s wife on behalf of her older sister, actress Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, the President changed his mind — citing humanitarian grounds.

“Petrella was in danger of dying. This hunger and thirst strike had to stop, which it did. There is a humanitarian clause, I used that clause,” Sarkozy said during a financial news conference.

“I told him (Sarkozy) about her, especially just after I saw her in jail. I gave him some information that was perhaps a little bit important in his decision,” said Bruni-Tedeschi. “He focused his attention on a case that he hadn’t completely focused on before,” she said.

Her sister Carla said she was “happy” about the decision.

The pair personally delivered the message to Petrella on Sunday at her secure prison hospital bed, where she is refusing to eat and is in “very poor” health. “I have a message for you from my husband,” the First Lady reportedly told her. “You will not be going back to Italy.”

The communist Red Brigade was accused of dozens of murders in the 1970s and 80s, including that of Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro in 1978.