Italian police have apprehended seven individuals suspected of being part of an anarchist militant network, following alleged acts of sabotage on high-speed rail lines during the Winter Olympics in February. The arrests were announced on Tuesday, with a judge ordering five of the suspects to be held in prison, while two others were placed under house arrest.
The charges levied against the individuals are serious, encompassing terrorist association and subversion of the democratic order. Investigators believe two of those arrested were directly involved in an attack on the Rome-Florence high-speed rail line on February 14. This incident, which occurred during the Milan-Cortina Games, reportedly utilised improvised explosive devices, resulting in substantial damage to infrastructure and causing train delays exceeding an hour. The estimated cost of the damage is approximately £393,000.
Police indicated that the sabotage incident, along with another concurrent attack on the Rome-Naples line, was claimed responsibility for on a dedicated website, ispiraazione.noblogs.org, which had been set up a few months prior to the events. The statement posted by the anarchist group explicitly referenced the timing of the Milan-Cortina Games, alongside expressing anti-militarist objectives and advocating violent attacks on infrastructure.
Authorities believe the core of this group was based in Rome, but maintained connections with other cells operating in various Italian cities, including Bologna, Milan, and Naples. In addition to the arrests, Rome prosecutors have issued several search warrants targeting other individuals currently under investigation across multiple Italian cities. A 40-page statement found on the aforementioned website also claims responsibility for a separate sabotage attack on the Transalpine Pipeline in March.