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‘Warning’ to Italy’s journalists as court fines reporter for defaming Meloni

An Italian court on Thursday handed a suspended fine of 1,000 euros to journalist Roberto Saviano after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sued him for criticising her stance on migrants.

Published: 13 October 2023 09:26 CEST
'Warning' to Italy's journalists as court fines reporter for defaming Meloni
Italian anti-mafia journalist and author Roberto Saviano speak to the press after the verdict in the trial brought by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the Court of Rome on October 12th, 2023. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP)

Saviano, best known for his international mafia bestseller Gomorrah, had called the far-right leader a “bastard” on national television in December 2020, when Meloni was still in opposition. 

His lawyer Antonio Nobile said he would appeal the verdict, after a trial  that has sparked fears over freedom of speech in Italy.

But the fine was far less than the 10,000 euros requested by the Rome prosecutor, and the 75,000 euros in damages demanded by Meloni’s lawyer.

It was also suspended, meaning it need not be paid except in the case of a repeat offence, and will not be mentioned on Saviano’s criminal record, Nobile told AFP.

Speaking to reporters outside the Rome court, Saviano said Meloni’s hard-right government had sought to “intimidate” him for calling out “lies” about migrants and the charity ships that rescue them in the Mediterranean.

But he added: “There is no greater honour for a writer than to see their own words brought to trial… so today I am actually proud of having done this.”

READ ALSO: Six things to know about the state of press freedom in Italy

In court, Meloni’s lawyer, Luca Libra, had said Saviano’s words were not criticism but an “insult”, accusing him of using “excessive, vulgar and aggressive language”.

Press freedom groups had supported Saviano in a case he had described as a test of “whether or not it is possible to exercise the right of criticism” in
Italy.

Sabrina Tucci of PEN International said it was “deeply disappointed” at the verdict.

“This sentence is an attack on freedom of expression which the Italian constitution and international law recognise as an inalienable human right,” she said.

The fact the case was brought by the prime minister “is a dangerous warning for all writers and journalists… inviting them to measure their words, to not risk long legal battles, financial difficulties, emotional distress and imprisonment”, she added.

Italian journalist Roberto Saviano faced trial for calling Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni “a bastard” back in 2020. Photos: Alberto PIZZOLI and Andreas SOLARO/AFP

Saviano, who lives under police protection due to threats from the mafia, had made the comment about Meloni on a political TV chat show following the death in a shipwreck of a six-month-old baby from Guinea.

The baby, Joseph, had been one of 111 migrants rescued by the Open Arms charity ship. He died before he could receive medical attention.

In footage shot by rescuers and shown to Saviano on the show, the baby’s mother can be heard weeping “Where’s my baby? Help, I lose my baby!”

Saviano blasted Meloni, who leads the post-Fascist Brothers of Italy party,  and Matteo Salvini, the leader of the anti-immigrant League party.

“I just want to say to Meloni, and Salvini: ‘You bastards! How could you?'” Saviano said on the show.

The year before, Meloni had said charity rescue ships “should be sunk”, while Salvini, as interior minister that same year, blocked such vessels from docking in Italian ports.

READ ALSO: What’s behind Italy’s soaring number of migrant arrivals?

After taking office in October 2022 on a promise to end migrant landings in Italy, Meloni’s government limited the activities of charity rescue ships – but the number of arrivals continues to soar.

Salvini – now deputy prime minister in Meloni’s government – has filed a separate defamation suit against Saviano for calling him the “minister of the criminal underworld” in a social media post in 201The case is still ongoing, with the next hearing due on December 7.

“I will not give up against this gang,” Saviano said Thursday.

Defamation through the media can be punished in Italy with prison sentences from six months to three years.

PEN International called on Italy to abolish its defamation laws, saying: “Those who express their opinions on matters of public interest should not feel threatened.”

Italy’s Constitutional Court urged lawmakers in 2020 and 2021 to rewrite the legislation, saying jail time for such cases was unconstitutional and should only be resorted to in cases of “exceptional severity”.

Italy has long compared poorly to its European neighbours for press freedom. It ranked 41st in the 2023 world press freedom index published by Reporters Without Borders, up from 58th in 2022.

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POLITICS

‘It’s time to reset Britain’s relations with Europe’

As he begins his first overseas trip, the UK's new Foreign Secretary David Lammy writes for The Local on how Britain plans to rebuild ties with Europe and become a better neighbour.

Published: 7 July 2024 08:54 CEST
'It’s time to reset Britain's relations with Europe'

I am a man of multiple identities. Londoner. English. Patriotic Brit. Proud of my Caribbean heritage. A transatlanticist. And, throughout my political career, absolutely committed to a close partnership with our European neighbours. 

As the new British Foreign Secretary, with our Prime Minister Keir Starmer, this government will reset relations with Europe as a reliable partner, a dependable ally and a good neighbour. 

That is why I am travelling immediately to some of our key European partners. Sitting down with Germany’s Annalena Baerbock, Poland’s Radek Sikorski and Sweden’s Tobias Billström, my message will be simple: let us seize the opportunity for a reset, working even more closely together to tackle shared challenges. 

READ ALSO: New UK foreign minister in Germany for first trip abroad

The most immediate of these challenges, of course, is Ukraine. We will stand by the brave people of Ukraine, as they defend their freedom against Vladimir Putin’s new form of fascism.

British military, economic, political and diplomatic support for Ukraine will remain ironclad. But we are always stronger when we work with others. Germany, Poland and Sweden are all also staunch supporters of Ukraine. European security will be this government’s foreign and defence priority.

Russia’s barbaric invasion has made clear the need for us to do more to strengthen our own defences.

Next week, the Prime Minister, the Defence Secretary and I will all travel to Washington for the NATO Summit. 75 years ago, my political hero and former Labour Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, was pivotal to forming the Alliance. He would have been delighted to see NATO grow larger over the years, with Germany, Poland and now Sweden all joining the most successful defensive alliance in history. 

This Government’s commitment to the Alliance is unshakeable, just as it was in Bevin’s time. I will be discussing this weekend how NATO allies can go further in investing in our tightly connected defence industries and providing Ukraine with its own clear path to joining our alliance. 

Alongside security, we want to do more together to bring prosperity to our continent. None of us can address the urgency of the climate emergency alone – we need coordinated global action. This is particularly important in Europe, whose energy networks are so closely connected – together, we must invest in the industries of the future and deliver sustained economic growth for all.

And finally, we must do more to champion the ties between our people and our culture. Holidays, family ties, school and student exchanges, the arts, and sport (I was of course cheering on England in the Euros…). Thanks to this, our citizens benefit from the rich diversity of our continent. 

We can deliver more cooperation in many areas bilaterally, via NATO and in groupings like the G7, the Joint Expeditionary Force or the European Political Community which will gather at Blenheim Palace on July 18th. 

But if we are to fulfil our ambitions for a reset, we must also improve Britain’s relationship with the European Union.

I will be explaining to my new fellow Foreign Ministers how our new Government’s proposal for an ambitious and broad-ranging UK-EU Security Pact would underpin closer cooperation between us, enshrining a new geopolitical partnership. I also look forward to hearing their ideas for how we can rebuild trust and reset the relationship between the UK and the EU. 

Over centuries, our individual and national stories have come together to tell a wider story of shared progress. Today, we all share a commitment to democracy, human rights and international law. Tragic experiences in our continent’s shared past have helped us to understand how our shared security and prosperity depend on these shared values.

And I believe these values also offer a foundation for closer partnership in the future. My visit this weekend is just the beginning. I look forward to seeing Britain reconnect with our European neighbours in the years ahead.

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