Wikipedia:Requests for mediation/Vito Roberto Palazzolo

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Vito Roberto Palazzolo

 * Users involved in dispute
 * , filing party


 * Articles concerned in this dispute
 * Vito Roberto Palazzolo

Other steps of Vito Roberto Palazzolo that have been attempted
 * User_talk:Fircks


 * Talk:Vito Roberto Palazzolo


 * BLPN Archives
 * [| Archive 114]


 * [| Archive 107]


 * [| Archive 121]


 * [| Archive 105]


 * [Watchlist]


 * NPVN Archives
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 * RSN Archives
 * [| Archive 95]


 * ANI Archives
 * [| Archive 679]


 * [| Archive 671]


 * Emails
 * Arbitration from 24th June to 23rd August - "We’ve looked into the issue, and we don’t feel that it’s yet reached a level where arbitration would be helpful. This is primarily a dispute over content, and we feel that there’s still a good chance that this can be resolved amicably by all sides working with the Mediation Cabal or Mediation Committee, as part of the dispute resolution process. For the Committee, Chase/Richard"


 * Wikipedia Information Team 10th April to 24th June.


 * Link here to attempts at dispute resolution.

Issues to be mediated

 * Primary issues
 * This is about the difference between substantiated evidence proven in court, and unsubstantiated allegations, which amount to hearsay and innuendo thrown out of court but printed in newspapers and then in Wikipedia. Palazzolo has only ever been substantially (irrevocably) sentenced once, on the 3rd of May 1994 in Switzerland, for having acted in "Dolus Eventualis", which means, essentially, for being negligent. Since that day there have been multiple allegations made against him (even for murder), originating from Palermo in Sicily. Not one of these stood up in court. The author of Palazzolo's Wiki BLP includes many of these allegations made against him, so painting a very sinister portrait of a man who was only ever sentenced, once, for negligence. Given the repetitive and unsubstantiated nature of the allegations, Palazzolo claims there is a powerful conspiracy working against him. All he asks is that the author matches the charge or allegation (there are many) against it's conclusive court judgement. Printing the allegation without following it through violates the rights of a free man, and wiki's BLP policies, some of which I list below:


 * Reliable Sources."...any material challenged or likely to be challenged must be attributed to a reliable, published source."
 * Significant Coverage []
 * Exceptional Coverage (See conspiracy)[]
 * Specialised Subjects []
 * Casual Inuendo []
 * The article, according to wikipedia, should rely on multiple, non-trivial published works, which it does not See mention: []
 * "Weasel Words" ("words and phrases aimed at creating an impression that something specific and meaningful has been said, when in fact only a vague or ambiguous claim has been communicated") abound in the article.

Additional issues (added by other parties)

I am afraid User:Fircks is not accurately representing the facts. First, the Swiss Bundesgericht in Bern sentenced Palazzolo to three years and nine months in 1993, for having acted in "dolus eventualis", which is a legal interpretation of reckless disregard, somewhere between intent and negligence. In other words, that is more serious than just negligence.

Second, Palazzolo was not only sentenced once, but three times. In March 1992 a criminal court in Rome convicted Palazzolo for the crime of “association with the purpose of financing for narcotics trafficking” and sentenced him to two years. He was acquitted on the charge of Mafia association, however, because the fact “did not exist”. The conviction was suspended, because Palazzolo had already served three years in prison in Switzerland, for the same facts.

Palazzolo was again sentenced on July 5, 2006, to nine years in prison for aiding and abetting Cosa Nostra. The nine-year sentence for collusion with the Mafia was confirmed by the highest court of last resort in Italy, the Supreme Court of Cassation in March 2009. A request to review the sentence has been filed at the Appeal Court in Caltanissetta which was granted but the review has not been concluded yet. A review application does not nullify a sentence of previous courts. In other words, the nine-year-sentence still stands.

Third, as per Identifying reliable sources mainstream nespapers are considered to be reliable sources and are preferable over primary sources such as court documents that should be used with caution to prevent WP:NOR. Main sources are La Repubblica, Mail & Guardian, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Der Spiegel, Corriere della Sera, The Independent, all considered to be reliable source with a reputation for fact checking.

I think the article is generally correct, it includes Palazzolo’s denials and defence and has been corrected whenever inaccuracies have been brought to the attention of Wikipedia. However, things can always be improved. - DonCalo (talk) 18:46, 6 September 2011 (UTC)

Parties' agreement to mediation
''All parties please indicate below whether they agree to mediation of this dispute; remember to sign your post. Extended comments should be made on. Every party listed above will be automatically notified that this request has been filed.''
 * 1) Agree. Fircks (talk) 16:01, 6 September 2011 (UTC)
 * 2) Agree. DonCalo (talk) 18:46, 6 September 2011 (UTC)

Decision of the Mediation Committee
''A member of the Mediation Committee will indicate whether this request is to be accepted or rejected. Notes concerning the request and questions to the parties may also be posed by a committee member in this section.''
 * Accept. For the Mediation Committee, AGK  [&bull; ] 20:33, 6 September 2011 (UTC)


 * Self-assigning case. I'm Nicholas Turnbull, and I'll be at your service as your mediator. *shakes hands* It's nice to be working with you. I am currently analysing this case request in detail, and will start the mediation process within approximately 24 hours. As with all Mediation Committee cases, the mediation will take place on the talk page for this case, located here:
 * Wikipedia talk:Requests for mediation/Vito Roberto Palazzolo
 * Please feel free to leave me a talk page message if you have any immediate questions or concerns. I look forward to doing what I can to solve this dispute. Yours, --NicholasTurnbull &#124; (talk) 19:22, 10 September 2011 (UTC)


 * Your mediator's username has changed. User:NicholasTurnbull now has the Wikipedia username User:Tristessa de St Ange. --Tristessa (talk) 15:52, 20 September 2011 (UTC)
 * I sincerely apologise for the severe delay in getting mediation underway, but will be getting the show on the road as soon as possible. Yours, --Tristessa (talk) 15:52, 20 September 2011 (UTC)
 * Mediation in progress at Wikipedia talk:Requests for mediation/Vito Roberto Palazzolo.


 * Accepting re-assignment I will have a look at this by the end of the weekend, thanks for your patience. --WGFinley (talk) 06:31, 30 November 2011 (UTC)

Case has been stale for several months, moving to closed as unsuccessful. --WGFinley (talk) 14:10, 2 April 2012 (UTC)
 * }