Berlusconi to lead political backers in Italy protest rally to protest tax fraud conviction
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Silvio Berlusconi will lead his political party in a rally to protest his tax fraud conviction, which carries a prison sentence and a ban from public office.
The four-year prison term for Italy's former premier and the five-year ban, which were handed down by a Milan appeals court Wednesday, will take effect only if another appeals tribunal — Italy's highest Court of Cassation — upholds the verdict. That decision could take months or more.
Meanwhile, the media mogul is gearing up for a rally Saturday in the northern city of Brescia. He insists he is innocent and says the many criminal cases against him are the work of his political enemies.
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On Thursday, his People of Freedom Party, a government coalition partner, announced the rally "in defense" of Berlusconi.