On Saturday, 29 March 2025, the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights hosted a commemorative ceremony in honour of lawyer Ezechia Paolo Reale, a central figure not only in the Siracusa community but also in the international legal world and in the history of the Institute itself, where he served as a visionary leader and driving force for many years.
The event took place at the Institute’s historic premises and was attended by distinguished representatives from institutions, academia, and the international legal community. The ceremony was opened by the Institute’s President, Jean-François Thony, who paid a heartfelt tribute to Reale’s enduring legacy and his profound contribution to the Institute’s development and mission.
Among the speakers were Judge Rosario Aitala, First Vice-President of the International Criminal Court (joining online), Senator Antonio Nicita, Fabio Granata, Siracusa’s Councillor for Culture, Matteo Angioli, Secretary-General of the Global Committee for the Rule of Law “Marco Pannella”, and Alfredo Nunzi, Secretary-General of the Siracusa International Institute.
The ceremony reinforced the idea that the event was not only a tribute to Paolo Reale’s memory but also a call to action to continue building bridges, working with integrity, and fostering the deep sense of justice and responsibility that defined his life’s work.
At the conclusion of the event, the Institute’s Board Room was officially named after Ezechia Paolo Reale, in a symbolic yet powerful gesture that seals the indelible bond between his name and the future of the Institute.
The Siracusa International Institute will continue to uphold, with pride and dedication, the values that Paolo Reale embodied. His name will forever be linked to the Institute’s mission, his legacy not confined to memory but transformed into daily commitment, vision, and inspiration. With the same passion. With the same integrity. With the same sense of justice that guided his life.
