UNIVERSITY OF TURIN CASE

ITALY

Starting in 2015, the University of Turin hosted a series of openly anti-Israel and antisemitic seminars and conferences on Israel and the Arab-Israel conflict. These were organized by “Progetto Palestina” (Palestine Project), an anonymous student movement that is very popular on Facebook. The University granted academic credits (CFU) to the students who participated in the seminars.

Adv. Barbara Pontecorvo, who is an Association member and also heads the  Solomon-Observatory of Discriminations based in Rome, in 2019 took  legal action against the University of Turin. As a result, the Court explicitly confirmed the illegitimacy of the recognition of credits. This year, the Center assisted Adv. Pontecorvo, at her request, including financially, to continue her legal action against the University. Adv. Pontecorvo filed a special legal action asking for an administrative remedy with the office of the President of the Republic and the Ministry of Education

On May 31, 2019, Adv. Pontecorvo filed an additional brief with the Office of the President of the Republic and the Ministry of Education, stressing the illegitimacy of the academic credits granted by the University of Turin. She also demanded the cancellation of the credits already granted.

On July 9, 2019, Adv. Pontecorvo and her Association filed a brief with the Office of the President of the Republic, asking that Project Palestine Association be removed from the Registrar of the student associations of the University.