By Breitbart News Network | Created at 2026-10-09 12:42:11 | Updated at 2026-10-09 16:01:28
6 hours ago
Italian authorities are investigating the alleged existence of a parallel Islamic “sharia court” run by an autonomous private arbitration organization in the city of Padua, Veneto.
Public broadcaster Rai News detailed the Padua Public Prosecutor’s office opened a probe against the “Italian Islamic Arbitration Chamber,” a private organization, on allegations that it is resolving civil and commercial disputes “according to the principles of Sharia.”
The organization was reportedly constituted on March 3 and has been operating for the past seven months, with one of its listed objectives being the “promotion of arbitration as a means of dispute resolution. Rai News observed that, according to the allegations, the Islamic “Arbitration Chamber” claims that its rulings “will have the same effect as a judgement issued by an Italian court.”
The investigation stems from a complaint filed this week by Italian attorney Francesco Minutillo, a member of the Futuro Nazionale party led by former Italian Army general Roberto Vannacci. Per Tgcom24, Minutillo alleges in the complaint that the Islamic organization is pushing Italian law “to the sidelines” in favor of Sharia law.
The attorney accused the organization of presenting itself as a “path to Islamic justice in Italy.”
“This is not a matter of religion, but an exclusively legal issue and the potential establishment of a parallel justice system,” Minutillo reportedly stressed.
Italian Prosecutor Angelantonio Racanelli detailed to reporters on Thursday that, at the current phase of the probe, there are no suspects or an alleged crime. Racanelli nevertheless emphasized that his office will carry out the duties entrusted to it by law and will conduct all of the necessary investigations. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio stated to be certain that the Padua magistrates will establish all the corresponding facts.
Rai News and other Italian outlets observed that the Union of Islamic Communities of Italy (UCOII) has distanced itself from the accused organization, and no association, center, or mosque represented by UCOII has “promoted, supported, or recognized” the Padua-based Islamic Arbitration Chamber.
“The UCOII has reiterated that justice is administered by the courts of the Republic and that parallel structures are unnecessary,” Rai News wrote.
According to Rai News, the UCOII affirmed in comments shared with the broadcaster that, on a religious level, Islamic tradition “requires believers to respect the laws of the country in which they live.” The Union added, “relying on the state justice system is consistent with the [Islamic] faith.”
In remarks shared with the local outlet Padova Oggi on Friday, the organization’s founder Omar Vanin claimed that the Italian Islamic Arbitration Chamber is “not a court” and does not administer a form of “alternative justice, and it could not be otherwise.”
According to Vanin, a 36 year-old attorney residing in Padua, his organization instead conducts arbitrary proceedings, “a widely used tool that has always been part of the Italian legal system, aimed at resolving commercial and property disputes.”
“We do this to offer a tool to businesses and individuals, including those of the Islamic faith who, due to their culture and religious orientation, choose to follow certain principles of Islam in commercial mattersm, such as the prohibition on interest, the principles of fairness in transactions, and the pursuit of a consensual resolution of disputes, always and in all cases in compliance with Italian law,” Vanin reportedly said
“We regret to note that even representatives of institutions can contribute, through statements and public stances, to amplifying a narrative that risks fueling divisions and conflicts,” he added. “Our work stems precisely from the opposite intention: to offer tools for dialogue, mediation, and dispute resolution, in full compliance with Italian law.”
