Posts Tagged ‘Italy’
August 9th, 2012
Two Italian journalists have been
sentenced to four months in prison and fined 15,000 Euros (11,700 GBP) for
libel. Orfeo Donatini and Tiziano Marson, of newspaper Alto Adige, were convicted in June of alleging in a 2008 article that local politician Sven Knoll had taken part in a neo-Nazi summit. The claim was based on a police report and appeared in weekly magazine L’Espresso. Knoll lodged a criminal defamation complaint, and although the journalists were acquitted, the case was reviewed by the court of cassation and referred back to the Bolzano city tribunal. In a
statement, press freedom organisation
Article 19 said criminal defamation provisions in Italy’s Penal Code were “incompatible” with international standards of freedom of expression.
October 11th, 2011
An
Italian writer who exposed the violent world of the
Naples Mafia was awarded a major free-speech prize yesterday.
Roberto Saviano was awarded the Pen/Pinter International
Writer of Courage prize, to share with British playwright David Hare. Saviano’s book, “Gomorrah”, which was published in 2006, exposed Naples’ criminal underworld, and the publication of the book led to death threats to the writer, who was forced to go into hiding. Saviano did not attend the ceremony, but sent a
message expressing his gratitude “to those who made it possible that my words became dangerous for certain powers that need silence and shade.”
October 7th, 2011
While the Italian prime minister’s crude jokes are a source of amusement abroad, at home there are increasing fears over proposed new media restrictions. Giulio D’Eramo reports
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October 6th, 2011
Wikipedia have shut down their
Italian language page in protest against a wiretapping act being proposed to the country’s parliament. The proposed law would require websites to publish within 48 hours a correction or comment relating to any content an applicant has deemed
“detrimental to their image,” or risk being fined €12,000. In a
message posted on the site on Wednesday, Wikipedia said the page was currently just hidden, but explained there was a risk they would soon be forced to delete it. The proposed rule has already received
substantial criticism as a tool that will damage free expression.
September 12th, 2011
Italian journalists face in serious difficulties investigating organised crime and links with business. Cecilia Anesi reports from a conference highlighting the issue
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February 16th, 2011
The Italian police have
seized the
Savona e Ponente blog after it ran a satirical
piece entitled “I want to kill Berlusconi”. Journalist Valeria Rossi heavily criticised the Italian prime minister, writing that: “You can’t feel guilty of wishing him death, because he’s not human: he’s an alien with incredible psychic powers.” The article condemns Berlusconi for his sexual affairs and abuse of power. He has been repeatedly accused of restricting press freedom in Italy.
October 6th, 2010
As pressure mounts on Mauro Masi, CEO of Rai TV, Giulio D’Eramo looks at why journalists see the government-owned network as a threat to freedom of expression
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July 21st, 2010
The Italian government is to stall plans to ban intercept evidence from court cases. Giulio D’Eramo reports
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