Journalist Roberto Saviano was given a 1,000 euro suspended fine by an Italian court on Thursday for defaming Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by disparaging her attitude on immigrants.
In December 2020, when Meloni was still in opposition, Saviano—best known for his international mafia hit “Gomorrah”—called the far-right leader a “bastard” on public television.
Following a trial that raised concerns about Italy’s commitment to free expression, his attorney, Antonio Nobile, declared that he would appeal the decision.
However, the fine was much lower than the prosecutor in Rome’s request for 10,000 euros and Meloni’s attorney’s claim for 75,000 euros in damages.
According to Nobile, it was also suspended, meaning Saviano won’t have to pay it until there’s a second offense, and it won’t appear on his criminal record.
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.”
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”.
