Gennaro Rubino

Gennaro Rubino (November 23, 1859^[1][2]– March 14, 1918; also spelled Rubini) was an Italian anarchist who unsuccessfully tried to assassinate King Leopold II of Belgium.

Rubino was born in Bitonto, during the period of Italian unification.^[1] While serving in the Italian army as a young man, Rubino was condemned to five years' detention for writing a subversive newspaper article.^[3] In 1898, he was arrested again during bread riots in Milan.^[4] Rather than serving a lengthy prison sentence, Rubino fled the country. He first took up residence in Glasgow, Scotland and then moved to London.^[5] He was unable to find work, however, until offered assistance by the Italian Embassy. He was then employed by the Italian Secret Service to spy on anarchist organizations in London. He was dismissed from the job, however, once embassy officials discovered that he sympathized with the anarchists.^[6][7]

In May 1902, Rubino's employment with the Italian Secret Service was uncovered, and he was denounced by the international anarchist press as a spy. Evidently, Rubino then resolved to commit an assassination in order to prove his allegiance to the anarchist cause.^[8] As he wrote in a letter to his former comrades, "perhaps tomorrow or after, I will be able to prove my rebellion in a manner more consistent with my and your aspirations."^[9] According to later police interrogations, he considered killing King Edward VII, but decided against it due to the strong feeling of the English people in favour of the monarchy. Instead he chose King Leopold II of Belgium.^[10]

In late October, 1902, Rubino relocated to Brussels. On the morning of November 15, 1902, King Leopold was returning from a ceremony in memory of his recently deceased wife, Marie Henriette.

The royal cortege left the cathedral. In the first carriage Prince Albert was seated with the king, and in the second carriage princess Elisabeth was seated.

أخذ روبينو مسدساً وانتظر موكب الملك بين حشد من الناس في شارع رويال أمام بنك بروكسل. بعد مرور عربة ليوبولد، سحب روبينو مسدسه وأطلق ثلاث رصاصات على العربة الثالثة. كان يجلس في هذه العربة الكونت شارل جون دي أولترمونت ، المارشال الكبير للبلاط الملكي، فأصيب بشظايا الزجاج في وجهه. لم تتوقف العربات وتابعت سيرها إلى القصر. عند وصوله إلى القصر الملكي، استجوب المسؤولون المارشال الكبير، وكانت بزته العسكرية مغطاة بشظايا الزجاج. ^{[ 11 ] [ 12 ]} أُبلغ الملك وأفراد العائلة المالكة أنهم نجوا من محاولة اغتيال. سأل الملك عما إذا كان أحد قد أصيب، ثم تابع يومه.

أخطأت الطلقات الثلاث جميعها الهدف، مع أن إحداها حطمت نافذة عربة الكونت شارل دولترمونت، الذي كاد أن يُقتل. ^{[ 7 ]} أنقذ الملك إم جيه برنارد من بار لو دوك، الذي نجح في نزع سلاح روبينو. ^{[ 13 ]} أمسك بول فان دن بوش، من لييج، روبينو من رقبته وسلمه للشرطة. ^{[ 11 ]} وضعت الشرطة روبينو في سيارة أجرة، سرعان ما حاصرها حشد غاضب. واجهت الشرطة صعوبة بالغة في شق طريقها عبر الحشد، الذي كان يهتف بالتناوب: "اقتلوه!" و"يحيا الملك!". ^{[ 6 ]}

في مركز الشرطة، تم تفتيش روبينو، وعُثر بحوزته على علبة خراطيش رصاص وبطاقات بريدية تحمل صور الملك ليوبولد والأمير ألبرت والأميرة إليزابيث . قال روبينو إنه حصل على البطاقات ليتعرف على أفراد العائلة المالكة. وأضاف أنه لا يندم على فعله، وأنه كان سيطلق النار على ملك إيطاليا بنفس سهولة إطلاقه النار على ملك بلجيكا، لأن الملوك طغاة يتسببون في معاناة شعوبهم. كما أكد أنه لم يكن له شركاء، على الرغم من أن العديد ممن كانوا بالقرب من روبينو عندما أطلق النار من المسدس أكدوا أنه كان برفقة رجل آخر تمكن من الفرار وسط الحشد. ^{[ 6 ]}

Following the attempted assassination, anarchists further condemned Rubino as an agent provocateur, with some even speculating that the entire event was staged in order to justify subsequent police crackdowns against European anarchists.^[14] This speculation was fueled by early reports that the unfired cartridges left in Rubino's revolver were blanks.^[15] This was contradicted by later reports that Rubino's revolver was never found by the police.^[16][17]

After the attempt he was sent to the prison of Saint Gilles, where he received three glasses of beer for dinner and some bread.^[11] He was questioned by the Examining magistrate M. J. Count d'Oultremont. Rubino chose Émile Royer, a socialist who had previously defended the anarchist Jules Moineau,^[18] as his lawyer.

There was an issue: because the grand Marshall of the royal Court count Charles d'Oultremont was related to Examining magistrate M. J. d'Oultremont, he had to be replaced by Mr. van Nerom to respect a neutral examination.^[19]

Rubino stood trial in Brussels in February 1903. At the trial Rubino was unrepentant and even boastful, declaring that he had hoped to be able to kill the King, Prince Albert, and a few of the clergy.^[20] During the trial Rubino often expounded anarchist doctrines which, he said, recognized neither laws nor judges.^[21] The jury found Rubino guilty and the court then sentenced him to life imprisonment.^[22][23]

Rubino died on March 14, 1918, in Leuven Centraal, the main prison of Leuven, Belgium.^[24]

• ميليلو ، ستيفانو (2005). "جينارو روبينو e l'attentato a Leopoldo II re del Belgio". ستودي بيتونتيني (باللغة الإيطالية) (80). إيديبوليا: 85– 97. ISSN 0392-1727 .