At a press conference in Milan, Dr. Nicola Cocco – currently under investigation for alleged involvement in a criminal association linked to false medical certificates intended to keep migrants out of CPR centres – rejected accusations that he encouraged doctors to forge documents, insisting his work was a campaign highlighting the harsh conditions migrants face.
Dr. Cocco, a physician being investigated by the Ravenna prosecutor’s office for "associazione per delinquere" in connection with purportedly falsified health certificates, addressed reporters in Milan, where he said the group he leads never set up an association that "incited doctors to issue false certificates."
"We built a campaign that sparked a national debate about the pathogenicity of these places, where migrants suffer, are subjected to violence and die," Cocco told the press, emphasizing that the aim was to draw attention to the living conditions of migrants rather than to manipulate medical documentation.
The investigation focuses on alleged certificates that were allegedly used to prevent the transfer of migrants to Centri di Permanenza per il Rimpatrio (CPR), Italy’s detention facilities for asylum seekers awaiting repatriation. Prosecutors in Ravenna are examining whether a coordinated effort existed to produce such falsifications, a charge that carries a criminal association penalty.
Cocco’s denial comes as the probe remains ongoing; no formal charges have been filed at this stage, and the authorities have not disclosed further details about the scope of the alleged scheme.