Mario Roggero imprisonment & clemency appeal

In July 2026 the Turin Office of Surveillance rejected Mario Roggero’s request to suspend his 14‑year‑9‑month sentence, referring the case to the Tribunal of Surveillance. Prosecutors disclosed a €50,000 transfer to a Tunisian account linked to Roggero and his wife.

Roggero, a 72‑year‑old jeweller from Grinzane Cavour, is incarcerated at Bollate prison near Milan while awaiting a parole hearing set for 16 September. He shares a cell, has considered working as a prison accountant, and repeatedly asserts his innocence, saying “I shouldn’t be here.” A reconstruction of the 2021 robbery that led to his conviction highlighted a missed arrest request for co‑assailant Andrea Spinelli.

On 24 July, during a visit by Lega senator Giorgio Bergesio, Roggero reiterated his appeal to President Sergio Mattarella for a presidential pardon, asking the request be examined “with much attention and humanity, beyond the polemics.” He thanked supporters, said he is coping with prison life, and expressed confidence in a fair process. Bergesio announced that Roggero would begin volunteer work in the prison’s legal‑aid, social‑secretariat and library services.

A week after his arrival, Roggero told his lawyer he feared for his wife and three daughters, who have reopened the family jewellery shop, and he requested a private security guard for their protection. His wife has filed the clemency petition. A video of his appeal went viral, widening public debate on legitimate defence, proportionality of punishment and the state’s role in safeguarding victims’ families. Former deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini voiced political support, saying the Lega would consider backing a candidacy if a legal avenue existed.