Brits held in Genoa face five years' jail.BRITISH demonstrators held in Genoa Genoa (jĕn`ōwə), Ital. Genova, city (1991 pop. 678,771), capital of Genoa prov. and of Liguria, NW Italy, on the Ligurian Sea. after the G8 summit could face up to five years in jail.The warning from Italian prosecutors came last night as two young lovers arrested in the wake of weekend riots begged to be released. Nicola Docherty, from Elgin, Moray Coordinates: Elgin (Scottish Gaelic: Eilginn) is a former cathedral city and a former Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland and is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. , and boyfriend Richard Moth claim they were attacked as they slept when armed police stormed the headquarters of the anti-globalisation protesters. The couple - care workers for adults with mental health problems - have been held in separate cells and denied access to the British consul. The distraught pair both say they are innocent. A friend said: "They are both peace-loving people who abhor violence. It beggars belief to suggest they have been involved in the riots." Nicola, 26, and Richard, 32, needed hospital treatment after the raid early on Sunday when 90 people were arrested including five Britons. Lawyer Louise Christian Louise Christian is an award-winning British human rights lawyer. Christian has fought on behalf of detainees at the controversial American prison at the US Naval base at Guantanamo Bay. , who has taken up Nicola and Richard's case, said: "This was an outrageous, unprovoked attack by Italian police on peaceful demonstrators." The couple had arrived together in Genoa last week as part of the non-violent Globalise Resistance Globalise Resistance (GR) is a British anti-capitalist activist group. The group was established after the emergence of the anti-globalisation movement and sought to bring together a broad array of organisations opposed to neo-liberal capitalism and corporate power. group. A spokesman said: "They are gentle people who want nothing to do with violence. "They decided to stay the night at the headquarters of the Genoa Social Forum because they thought it would be the safest place. "They were in their sleeping bags when the police burst in. They were beaten for some considerable time, despite being defenceless adj. 1. same as defenseless; as, a defenceless child s>. Adj. 1. defenceless - lacking protection or support; "a defenseless child" defenseless vulnerable - susceptible to attack; "a vulnerable bridge" . "We just want them allowed home safe and well." The raid followed two days of violent rioting against the G8 summit which left an Italian protester dead and hundreds more injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. . |
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