Berlusconi files request to serve sentence at community service

Lawyers for the former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi have filed on Friday a request to the court of Milan, asking that their client could serve his sentence on financial fraud case in Mediaset by doing community service. August 1, the 77-year-old politician has been unappealably sentenced by the appellate court to four year in prison. This term was instantly reduced to one year under the law on amnesty. Senior people in Italy don’t go to prison for felony: they may choose between home arrest and community service. As Berlusconi’s lawyers note, he should be doing community service for 9 months. Milan’s court will announce a special hearing to take the final decision. ANSA news agency claims it would take place not earlier that spring 2014. Different public organizations have already invited Berlusconi to work. Among these organizations are retirement homes, residential treatment centers and rehabilitation facilities for ex-convicts. Berlusconi may also sign up for consumer rights protection association Codacons. Some reports say that the ex-premier may do community service even in the parliament. The senate will vote for Berlusconi’s expulsion due to the sentence within the next two weeks.