SLAPPs in Italy: Roberto Saviano on public figures seeking to silence criticism on questions of public interests

This video was recorded at the margins of the panel co-organized by ARTICLE 19 Europe and Osservatorio dei Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response and the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) for the #ijf23 in Perugia, Italy.

Roberto Saviano is an Italian award winning writer and journalist who for the past 18 years has been writing about criminal organisations links to the Italian and international economic landscape. Roberto Saviano has been the target of three defamation lawsuits initiated by representatives of the current Italian government. One civil defamation lawsuit filed by current minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano in 2020, when he held the role of director of Italian public newscast TG2. One criminal defamation lawsuit filed by current minister of Infrastructures Matteo Salvini in 2018, when Salvini was minister of Interior. One criminal defamation lawsuit filed by current PM Giorgia Meloni in 2021, prior to her holding her cabinet role.

Over the past year, Italy has drawn the attention of multiple national and international organisations dealing with press freedom. In the Mapping Media Freedom 2022 report, Italy ranked among the EU countries in which MFRR registered the highest number of legal threats against media and journalists. 

This video was recorded at the margins of the panel co-organized by ARTICLE 19 Europe and Osservatorio dei Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response and the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) for the #ijf23 in Perugia, Italy.