Italian court rules Fascist salute is a crime... sometimes

ROME: The Fascist salute is a crime — but only in certain circumstances — Italy´s top court has ruled, with experts warning convictions are unlikely just days after a video of a mass salute caused outrage.

The Supreme Court made its decision on Thursday in a separate case of eight people convicted for raising their right arms in what is also known as the Roman salute during a ceremony in Milan in 2016.

It came just days after around 1,000 people were filmed saluting at the former Rome headquarters of the Italian Social Movement (MSI), a party formed by supporters of Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini after World War II. The images went viral, sparking calls for prosecutions from opposition politicians -- but also revealed confusion over whether the salute was actually illegal.