Lawyers for defendants have asked a Vatican tribunal to dismiss criminal charges, in the latest complication of the financial-misconduct trial.
The defense charged that portions of taped testimony submitted by the prosecution were missing, and objected to references to directions from Pope Francis—who, as sovereign ruler of the Vatican, is outside the court’s jurisdiction. The defense said that the handling of evidence and the Pope’s involvement “lead us to doubt the respect for principles of due process and the fundamental rights of the accused.”
The tribunal’s president, Giuseppe Pignatone, has acknowledged the difficulties involved in the high-profile case. He said that he would rule on the defense motions on December 1.
