IT

Enrico “Chico” Forti is a family man. A lover of life and nature. A sportsman. A television professional. A man full of energy and positivity with lots of plans and friends.

Chico was deprived of all this 23 years ago when, on the basis of insubstantial evidence that soon showed itself to be inconsistent, he was sentenced in the United States for a murder for which he has always declared his innocence.

His serenity, his freedom, and his life were devastated and shattered, according to a script that seems to have come from the tragic fantasy of a novel and that instead is a dramatic reality that persists, despite the many violations and errors – since the investigation stage – that should have invalidated the process on the basis of which he was convicted.

Books have been written, demonstrations have been held that have attracted huge crowds and songs have been composed about this incredible event and in support of the complete extraneousness of Chico Forti to the affair.

Artists, intellectuals, jurors, priests, and politicians have pleaded his case, convinced also by significant circumstances, which emerged later, in support of Forti's utter lack of involvement in the event.

Here below, in brief summary, are some of them, which we would invite you to reflect upon:
● Veronica Lee, a juror on the jury that sentenced Forti to life in prison without parole, publicly stated to major news outlets in 2019 that she was forced to convict him, despite the fact that she strongly believed he was innocent;
● Bradley Pike, the brother of the victim, has formally asked the Governor of Florida to release Chico Forti because he was not responsible for his brother's death;
● The former partner of Thomas Knott (a person who, in addition to having introduced Forti to the victim, Dale Pike, and his father, has also been convicted numerous times for fraud and other crimes in his home country
and in the United States) has refuted the alibi Knott had given to the police after almost 20 years. In fact, she declared that on the evening of the murder her partner was not with her at all times and indeed was out of the house for hours.

On December 23, 2020, the Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis signed a transfer pursuant to the Strasbourg Convention - 1983 which should have allowed Forti to return to Italy to finish serving his sentence.
After more than 16 months, however, Chico is still in a maximum-security prison in Miami, waiting to return to his homeland.

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves”

These words by Abraham Lincoln touch each of us deeply, encouraging us not to look the other way, to act according to our conscience, making a small yet great gesture, and making our contribution so that justice may prevail. We are
reacting as we would like others to react if it were us, condemned through no fault of our own!
Let us all sign this petition together asking the Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis for the immediate release of Enrico Forti.