MILAN — Italian police have taken seven people into custody, accusing them of membership in an anarchist militant network responsible for sabotaging a high-speed railway during this year’s Winter Olympics, authorities announced Tuesday.
A judge ordered five of the suspects held in prison while the remaining two were placed under house arrest. Those arrested face charges that include terrorist association and subversion of the democratic order.
Two of the seven individuals are specifically accused of participating in a February 14 attack targeting the Rome-Florence high-speed rail corridor. Investigators say the attack was carried out using homemade explosive devices, resulting in infrastructure damage estimated at €455,000 — roughly $528,000.
The disruption caused train delays exceeding one hour during the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which was held from February 6 through February 22.
According to police, the attack — along with a simultaneous strike on the Rome-Naples line — was claimed on a website called ispiraazione.noblogs.org, which had been created specifically for that purpose just a few months beforehand.
Authorities noted that the anarchist group’s own statement made direct reference to the timing of the Winter Olympics, as well as anti-militarist goals and plans for violent attacks against infrastructure.
Police described the group as being based in Rome, with connections to affiliated cells operating in Bologna, Milan, and Naples.
Prosecutors in Rome also issued multiple search warrants targeting additional suspects currently under investigation across several Italian cities.
A 40-page document posted on the same website also claims the group was responsible for a separate sabotage attack on the Transalpine Pipeline in March.
