Justice for Immigrant Allegedly Beaten to Death on Busy Street

Target: Marta Cartabia, Minister of Justice for Italy

Goal: Advocate for hate crimes charge in alleged beating death of Nigerian immigrant.

Immigrants around the world are often vilified as dangerous menaces to society, yet these individuals are at a disproportionately high risk of becoming victims of violent crime themselves. Italy recently served as a tragic example when a street vendor from Nigeria, Alika Ogorchukwu, was allegedly beaten to death in plain sight of several witnesses. Worse yet, while some of these onlookers filmed the apparent deadly attack, none seemingly attempted to intervene.

Italy, much like the United States, is in the grip of a hostile political climate where immigration has been exploited as a wedge issue. In 2018, Black immigrants were the victims of a lengthy shooting spree. In the years since, as this latest tragedy demonstrates, the hateful hostility has not improved. A hardline immigration law enacted in the same year as the shooting spree led to a significant uptick in attacks against immigrants.

Italy does have national hate crimes laws, but its recent refusal to include LGBTQ+ citizens in the protections casts doubt on its commitment to truly safeguarding all Italians. Sign the petition below to urge legal authorities to prosecute the Ogorchukwu case as a potential hate crime.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Minister Cartabia,

The brutal slaying of Alika Ogorchukwu has provoked outrage across Italy and united opposing factions in calls for justice. This man reportedly lost his life for daring to complement a woman, thereby enraging his alleged attacker. Similar cases in America and around the world have too often ended in the absence of any true accountability or punishment.

Please do not let this dark history repeat itself. Show that even in the most volatile of political landscapes, every life has equal value. Prosecute this apparent murder as a hate crime.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Alfo Mederiros