Italy: Landmark ruling in press freedom case
The Media Freedom Rapid Response consortium welcomes yesterday’s acquittal of writer and journalist Roberto Saviano in a case brought by current Italy’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini, setting a landmark ruling for press freedom and freedom of expression in Italy.
17 April 2026
On April 16, 2026, the Criminal Court of Rome acquitted Saviano of criminal defamation, rejecting both the public prosecutor’s request for a €10,000 fine and the additional €100,000 damages sought by Salvini’s legal team.
The case was initiated by Minister Matteo Salvini in response to a number of social media posts authored by Saviano in June 2018,in which he had criticized Salvini’s anti-migrant and xenophobic rhetoric and policies. In those social media contents, Saviano also spoke out against Salvini’s repeated threats to revoke the police protection granted to him since 2006. Saviano further called him “minister of the underworld”, echoing an essay by journalist and historian Gaetano Salvemini who had criticized the stance of the pre-fascist Giolitti government towards the Southern regions of Italy in the early 20th century. Salvini’s lawsuit further targeted an interview Saviano gave to the German news outlet Süddeutsche Zeitung in 2018, alleging that the writer had referred to a non-aggression pact between Italian criminal organizations and the Ministry of the Interior – an accusation that the court ultimately proved to be unfounded over the course of the trial. Notably, Salvini filed the lawsuit when he was Minister of the Interior on official Ministry of the Interior letterhead, adding a further element of institutional pressure and intimidation to the case.
The case represents a textbook example of a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP). It highlights a clear imbalance of power, with a politically influential claimant pursuing disproportionate legal action and excessive remedies in response to Saviano’s criticism. His reporting addressed matters of public interest, including on migration, minority rights, and the relationship between national political leadership and Southern Italy. Finally, Salvini’s lawsuit appears to be part of a broader pattern of sustained attacks and delegitimization targeting the writer. This case also reflects broader patterns in which legal action is used to deter scrutiny and silence critical voices.
In a context marked by an alarming trend of high-ranking public officials resorting to legal harassment to silence criticism, this ruling stands as a watershed moment affirming the right to hold those in power to account, an important test for the health of Italian democracy.
The court’s reasoning in this acquittal, which will be made available in three months, will be crucial in shaping future case law in Italy. The ruling does align with the interpretation of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, as reiterated by the European Court of Human Rights, according to which public figures should tolerate a higher degree of criticism and scrutiny due to their prominent position in society.
While welcoming this important outcome, the MFRR consortium reiterates the urgent need for the Italian Parliament to fully decriminalize defamation and align national legislation with international freedom of expression standards. Criminal defamation laws are inherently open to abuse and have a chilling effect on legitimate public interest reporting and commentary. This reform should go hand in hand with a comprehensive reform of civil law, including robust safeguards against SLAPPs in both domestic and cross-border cases, and across all types of proceedings.
With the deadline for transposing the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive – also known as Daphne’s Law – approaching next month, Italy must act promptly, including by incorporating both the EU Recommendation (2022/758) and the Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)2.
Only comprehensive and effectively implemented legal safeguards can protect journalists and other public watchdogs from abusive litigation and enable them to report on matters of public interest without fear of legal harassment or retaliation.
This statement was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.
