The European Parliament decided to defend the privileges and immunities of Eleonora FORENZA (GUE/NGL, IT).
As a reminder, Gabriele Zimmer, Member of the European Parliament and President of the GUE/NGL group, requested, under Articles 8 and 9 of Protocol No 7, the defence of the parliamentary immunity of Eleonora Forenza, Member of the same group, who was searched, then detained by German police along with a number of other activists following a demonstration held in the context of the G20 summit in Hamburg on 8 July 2017.
The request was made pursuant to Articles 8 and 9 of Protocol No 7 on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union.
Parliament considered that the case in question does not concern any opinion expressed by a Members of the European Parliament, but rather conduct deemed to pose a danger to public order (alleged participation in a riot) and that therefore, Article 9 of Protocol No 7 clearly applies in this case.
Parliament recalled that under Article 9 of Protocol No 7 on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union, Members are to enjoy, in the territory of their own State, the immunities accorded to members of their parliament, and, in the territory of any other Member State, immunity from any measure of detention and from legal proceedings. Eleonora Forenza, as an Italian MEP visiting Germany, therefore enjoyed such immunity.
It follows that the German police, aware that it was arresting a Member of the European Parliament, knowingly infringed the privileges and immunities she enjoys.
Given the circumstances of the case, it is clear that Eleonora Forenza was not found in the act of committing an offence, so the exception laid down in Article 9 of Protocol No 7 on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union does not apply and she is therefore fully covered by her parliamentary immunity in this case.