No evidence has emerged against a Turkish man suspected of plotting to kill Pope Francis in Trieste in northeast Italy in 2024, and the suspect is not linked to any terrorist group, Trieste police headquarters said on Friday, contradicting earlier reports in the Italian media claiming that the man was linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and was involved in the plot, the Italian ANSA news agency reported.
“No evidence has emerged” of any “hostile or murderous plans against the Holy Father” and the Turkish citizen arrested in the Netherlands and extradited to Italy, where he is being held in Trieste, for illegal possession and carrying a weapon, said a statement from Trieste police headquarters regarding the news released on Friday of an alleged plot to kill Pope Francis a year ago in Trieste.
The Italian Corriere della Sera newspaper reported on Friday that the 46-year-old man, identified as Hasan Uzun, was jailed in Trieste for his alleged involvement in an assassination plot against the late pope. Uzun was first detained in the Netherlands by INTERPOL and then extradited to Italy, according to the newspaper.
The newspaper said the investigation into the alleged assassination plot began after police discovered a 9 mm Luger pistol and 14 bullets inside an abandoned trolley bag at the city’s train station on July 6, 2024, a day before the pope arrived in the city for an open-air service.
The Trieste police said in its statement that the man “appears to be involved in criminal networks not related to terrorism of any kind.” The criminal proceedings against him are still in the preliminary investigation phase.
Uzun was initially held for several days in Milan before being transferred to Trieste. Prison sources told the newspaper he has remained calm, though he speaks little English and has difficulty communicating.
Uzun’s lawyer, Lucrezia Chermaz, told Italian media that she only recently took over the case and has not yet received the full investigation files. She said she has met with her client twice and plans to bring in a Turkish interpreter to assist in future meetings.
Italian state broadcaster RAI first reported the discovery of the pistol in July 2024, but authorities did not release further details until now. The investigation is ongoing.