35 sindaci chiedono alla università di Yale di revocare la laurea honoris causa a Stephan Schmidheiny

Un gruppo di 35 sindaci italiani ha chiesto a Peter Salovey, presidente dell’Università di Yale di revocare la laurea honoris causa a Stephan Schmidheiny, ex amministratore delegato dell’Eternit e condannato a Torino a 18 anni di reclusione per i morti causati dall’amianto. La prestigiosa università americana conferì la laurea honoris causa al magnate svizzero nel 1996. Capofila dell’ iniziativa il sindaco di Casale Monferrato, Titti Palazzetti. La notizia è stata pubblicata dal New Haven Register, giornale della regione dove ha sede l’Università di Yale.

Mayors of 35 Italian towns with up to 3,000 residents who died from asbestos-related mesothelioma have written to Yale President Peter Salovey, asking that the Swiss billionaire they hold responsible for the fatalities be stripped of his honorary degree. The letter follows a petition by more than 50 Yale graduates, including leaders in asbestos research, demanding that Yale revoke Stephan Schmidheiny’s award.

“The town of Casale Monferrato and 34 municipalities … join in asking you to rescind the honorary degree awarded to Mr. Stephan Schmidheiny in 1996,” states the Aug. 1 letter signed by Concetta Palazzetti, mayor of Casale Monferrato, along with 34 other mayors and officials. According to Christopher Meisenkothen, a New Haven lawyer, the 35 towns total 71,000 residents.

The Italian letter is the latest in international criticism of Yale for allowing Schmidheiny, 66, to keep his honorary degree. He is former CEO of the Swiss company Eternit and was convicted and sentenced to 18 years in prison by an Italian court in the asbestos-related deaths of more than 2,000 people in northern Italy. The case is under appeal and Schmidheiny is not in custody. Forbes lists his net worth at $3.3 billion.

Iscrivi al canale Quotidiano Piemontese su WhatsApp, segui la nostra pagina Facebook e continua a leggere Quotidiano Piemontese