“Gomorrah” author Roberto Saviano is on trial Tuesday for defamation by Italy’s far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

Italian author, journalist and political commentator Roberto Saviano will appear in court in Rome on Tuesday (November 15th) for the first hearing in a defamation case brought against him by newly installed right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The case is linked to an incident that took place before Meloni came to power in Italy in October.

Meloni is suing Saviano over his comments on the current affairs program Piazza Pulita in December 2020 during a discussion about the phenomenon of asylum seekers ashore in small boats, calling her an “ass” for her tough, anti-immigrant stance.

The judge opened an investigation into the case that the “nickname Son of a Bitch” “exceeds the rights of political criticism” and gave the green light for the trial.

The trial is seen as a test case for Italy’s freedom of expression and the increasing use of defamation as a way to silence the press.

Saviano is internationally known for his research work in 2006 Gomorrah, about the Neapolitan organized crime group Camorra. The book angered crime bosses and led to numerous death threats, which afforded Saviano police protection.

Italian director Matteo Garrone and Saviano adapted the work into a film of the same name, which won the 2008 Cannes Jury Grand Prize. The book also formed the basis of the high-end six-season series produced by Sky Italia, Fandango, Cattleya and Beta and directed by Stefano Sollima, Francesca Comencini and Claudio Cupellini.

At the time of Saviano’s comments in 2020, the drowning of a six-month-old child when a rickety child he was traveling in overturned made headlines in Italy after the Spanish NGO that rescued his mother decided to video release to publish, in which their need was explained.

The child was one of six people who died that night in a year in which an estimated 1,881 people died trying to cross the Mediterranean by various routes, the refugee organization UNHCR said.

In the months leading up to this event, Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy, and Matteo Salvini, leader of the Nationalist League, now a coalition partner in their government, targeted charity ships patrolling the Mediterranean Sea to evacuate people. in need labeling them “migrant taxis” and saying they should be confiscated and sunk.

Speaking about the dead child and his mother, Saviano singled out the couple, saying, “You remember all the nonsense that was said about the NGOs, that they were ‘sea taxis,’ ‘cruises.’ All I can think of, are holes. For Meloni, for Salvini, nut, how could you? How was it possible to describe all this pain like that?”

Despite the upcoming trial, Saviano remains unrepentant about his statements and continues to be fiercely critical of Meloni and her new government. for promoters of illegal raves.

In a recent interview with Rome’s Radio Capital radio station, Saviano revealed that Salvino and the new culture minister, Gennaro Sangiuliano, had also filed defamation charges against him.

He indicated they want to target him to warn other journalists who want to criticize members of their government and coalition parties.

“These were all defamation complaints related to the expression of my very harsh criticism of them. You beat me to convey the message to my colleagues and above all manipulate, to make it appear that harsh and relentless criticism of a politician can have the same context as a comment you make to an ordinary citizen. said.

“There’s another insidious mechanism at play here, which is: ‘If you criticize me, you’re going against democracy itself, because it’s mood that allows me to do what I do.’ Their behavior is therefore illegal.” This is very dangerous because democracy is not only based on voting, which is a fundamental and fundamental part of democracy, but primarily on respect for criticism,” he continued.

“There is something worrying behind this match and if you criticize me after the country is with me and I have the majority, you are wrong.”

Tuesday’s hearing comes amid a heated debate over how best to deal with people trying to cross from North Africa to Europe in small boats, after Meloni’s government blocked three rescue ships carrying hundreds of rescued migrants have to enter ports to embark.

The new policy led to a ship being diverted to the French port of Toulon after three weeks at sea, sparking a diplomatic row between France and Italy.

Writers’ association Pen International urged Meloni to drop the charges in an open letter published online and in the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

“As Italy’s prime minister, continuing your case against him will send a chilling message to all journalists and writers in the country, who may no longer be able to speak out for fear of reprisals,” wrote Pen President Burhan Sonmez International. .

“Saviano is not alone. We stand with him and will continue to campaign until all defamation charges against him are dropped and his right to peacefully express his views is respected once and for all.”