In a fresh blow for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a Milan court today questioned the legality of a new law that protects the premier from prosecution and asked Italy's Supreme Court to investigate.
Mr Berlusconi's lawyers said the request, which came just one day before Italy takes over the rotating presidency of the EU, represented a political attack on their client.
Mr Berlusconi is standing trial in Milan on charges of bribing judges. With a verdict looming in the case, parliament earlier this month rammed a bill into law that offers legal immunity to Italy's top five officials, including the premier.
In accordance with the new law, a panel of judges hearing the Berlusconi case announced today that they were freezing the three-year-old trial until further notice.
But at the same time, they asked the Supreme Court to review the controversial immunity law, saying concerns that it was unconstitutional were not "totally unfounded".
The Italian prosecutor pursuing the case told the judges last week that "the law clearly and totally violates the principle that everyone is equal in front of the law".
Mr Berlusconi's lawyers said the request reinforced their view that the Milan judiciary was pursuing a political vendetta.
"The law was constitutional. The court's decision is therefore not of a technical nature but a political one," said lawyer Mr Niccolo Ghedini, who is also a member of parliament for Berlusconi's Forza Italia (Go Italy) party.
Mr Berlusconi is accused of bribing judges to win favourable rulings in a 1980s takeover battle tied to his vast business empire. He denies the charges and today launched a fresh assault on the Italian judiciary.