Representatives of the Italian town of Casale Monferrato cowered into the early hours of December 17 in the town hall to avoid angry protesters surrounding the building. The demonstrators had brought their banners and anger with them to express outrage at the betrayal by Mayor Demezzi and the Council who voted on Friday night (December 16) to accept a deal worth €18.3 million to settle town’s lawsuit against former asbestos executive Stephan Schmidheiny. See: Link to Update from Casale Monferrato.

This act of treachery dishonours a town which had become a beacon of hope for so many asbestos victims around the world. It has, as one Italian journalist written, shattered the social contract forged between the town’s asbestos-injured and their elected representatives – a contract which had progressed the quest to obtain justice for the thousands who had been injured by exposure to Eternit asbestos.

The honorable men and women who have devoted their lives to the campaign for justice need to know that our thoughts are with them at this dark hour. Please take a few minutes to send expressions of solidarity to the leaders of the asbestos victims in Casale Monferrato. Please send your messages by email to:

Bruno Pesce; email: vertenzamianto@gmail.com
Nicolo Pondrano; email: n.pondrano@inca.it
Victoria Franzinetti (translator); email: vicky@alma.it

The verdict in the case against Schmidheiny and his co-defendant is expected on February 13, 2011. It is unclear at this time how this deal will impact on the legal proceedings.

(By Laurie Kazan-Allen, International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, 19/12/2011)