Italian police force female activists to 'strip, remove underwear' and do squats

Italian police are on thin ice after allegations emerged that officers made seven female climate activists remove their underwear and perform squats during an interrogation. The police from the northern city of Brescia detained 22 activists on Monday (Jan 13) and brought them to Brecia's main police station after a protest outside the Italian aerospace and defence firm Leonardo’s factory.

Extinction Rebellion, the global environmental movement, has alleged that during the time the activists were held at the police station, they were subjected to degrading treatment by the officers. The organisation's member posted a video online in which she alleged that the officer "asked" her to undress, take off her underwear and do "three squats". They made her do it "for checks", alleged the woman in the video. She claimed that the treatment was done only to women and no man was treated the same way.

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Another female member of the movement posted a video and alleged the same.

The act of making a suspect do squats is done only when there is suspicion of drug dealing.

All the detained activists were held for around seven hours and later on charged with "sedition gathering" and for "unannounced demonstration”.

As per media reports, seven women of the movement will be filing a formal complaint against the police in the "next few days".

Although the police department initially denied the allegations but later issued a statement claiming that female activists were searched by the female officers and were told to "bend down on their legs to find any dangerous objects”.

“The confidentiality and dignity of people were safeguarded at all times and the correct operating procedures were followed," the statement said.

(With inputs from agencies)