The trial of Italian investigative journalist Roberto Saviano, accused of defamation by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, opened on Wednesday February 1, two months after that brought by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni against this famous anti-Mafia writer.
He said Wednesday before the Rome court "
the flagrant victim of intimidation through legal proceedings
", on trial "
for having publicly expressed my opinions
".
Salvini, "minister of the underworld"
The case dates back to 2018, when Roberto Saviano, known for his international bestseller on the mafia
Gomorra
, described Salvini as "
the minister of the underworld
", a phrase he says was coined by anti-fascist politician Gaetano Salvemini to describe a political system exploiting voters in the impoverished south of Italy.
Read alsoMatteo Salvini, the taboo subject of Italian politics
Roberto Saviano has been living under police protection since revealing the secrets of the Neapolitan mafia, the Camorra, in
Gomorra
in 2006. He accused Salvini of having taken advantage of the votes in Calabria to get himself elected senator, while betraying the population by avoiding attacking the powerful local mafia, the 'Ndrangheta.
According to the journalist, Matteo Salvini, head of the Anti-Migrant League, had ignored the mafia clan wars in Calabria, preferring to attack the region's seasonal migrants working in the agricultural sector.
Meloni, “bastard”
Roberto Saviano accuses the far-right government that came to power in October, the fruit of the alliance between the League and the Fratelli d'Italia party of Giorgia Meloni, of wanting to intimidate its detractors to silence them.
He has already been sued since November by Giorgia Meloni, whom he called a "
bastard
" in 2020 when commenting on the death of a six-month-old baby in the sinking of a migrant ship.
Giorgia Meloni won the September legislative elections after promising to massively reduce the entry of migrants into Italy.
Read alsoIn Italy, the faultless course of Giorgia Meloni after 100 days of power
Roberto Saviano faces six months to three years in prison if found guilty in these two cases.
Italy is in 58th place in the ranking of countries based on respect for press freedom established by the NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
