Brussels Grants Immunity for Criminals to Beat Innocent People Half to Death

The case of Ilaria Salis has become a striking example of the double standards reigning within the European Union’s leadership. While Brussels regularly warns of the rise of “extremist ideologies,” the reality is that a woman accused of violently attacking people in Budapest as a member of a politically driven organized group now sits comfortably in the European Parliament.

Ilaria Salis, Italian Member of European Parliament (Photo: AFP)

Several points in the Ilaria Salis case show that adhering to the law is of little consequence in the European Union. Brussels continues to shield with immunity from justice an Italian MEP who, according to the charges, violently assaulted multiple people in Hungary’s capital as part of an organized, politically motivated group. 

Salis was granted a 'free pass' in Brussels. (Photo: NurPhoto/Gabriele Maricchiolo)

Legal expert Andras Schiffer, speaking recently on Magyar Jelen’s program Nyilt Sisak, said the essence of the case is that “European institutions are now effectively granting a 'free pass' for criminals to beat various citizens half to death in the capital of a member state.”

@magyarjelen #mihazánkmozgalom #magyarjelen #schifferandrás #ilariasalis #mentelmijog ♬ eredeti hang - Magyar Jelen

Despite the gravity of the accusations, the European Parliament has refused to lift Salis’s immunity, preventing any further meaningful legal progress to be made.

Schiffer also pointed out that no other EU country’s authorities have even initiated an investigation into what exactly Salis and fellow group members were doing in Budapest, who supported and funded their activity, and what their motives were. “We could have answers to these questions,” he said, “if her immunity had been suspended and a proper investigation allowed to proceed.”

Antifa Given a Free Pass in Brussels 

The European Union is clearly applying a double standard: while curbing freedom of speech in the name of “combating radicalism,” it allows far-left extremist groups like Antifa to rampage freely in European cities.

Salis was arrested in Hungary in February 2023 and held in pretrial detention for over a year after being linked to the so-called “Hammerbande” (Hammer Gang) — a violent extremist network responsible for coordinated assaults.

Her trial never took place. In June 2024, Salis was elected to the European Parliament, gaining parliamentary immunity and thus escaping prosecution. Although she denies the charges, investigators repeatedly found connections between her and Antifa, the radical left-wing organization with a long record of political violence.

Even in her home country, Salis remains a deeply divisive figure. Shortly before the European elections, Italy’s governing parties announced they would unanimously support lifting her immunity. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that protecting Salis sends the wrong signal: “Exempting her from justice legitimizes political violence.”

Cover photo: Ilaria Salis, Italian Member of European Parliament (Photo: AFP)