Italy: Linda Di Benedetto Receives Cease And Desist Letter Following Corruption Investigation Into Member Of Parliament Antonio Angelucci
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the MP’s attempt to muzzle the journalist by threatening legal action
Location: Italy, Rome
Date: May 13, 2023
Italian MP Antonio Angelucci threatens journalist Linda Di Benedetto with legal action after her investigation into his healthcare company’s government contracts. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed by the audacity of Italian politicians who frequently weaponize the law to intimidate journalists. We call on the parliament to reform its defamation laws immediately and demand politicians stop abusing their positions to pressure the press.
On May 13, health reporter Linda Di Benedetto received a cease-and-desist letter from lawyers representing a private healthcare group owned by MP Antonio Angelucci.
Earlier in the month, Di Benedetto — a freelance journalist who frequently collaborates with Panorama and LaNotizia — published a series of articles highlighting a conflict of interest between Angelucci and the Governor of Lazio regarding private healthcare contracts.
Di Benedetto investigated how funds for a new cancer clinic were cut while the Italian politician’s company was awarded contracts worth millions.
Culture of SLAPPs undermining press freedom in Italy
Italian journalist association Stampa Romana stated the cease and desist letter sent to Di Benedetto follows “a pattern that repeats itself, always with the same goal: to gag reporters and information.”
Italian politicians, including the current Prime Minister, frequently abuse their positions of power to intimidate journalists by slapping them with defamation lawsuits.
SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) are typically nuisance lawsuits filed against journalists or civil society actors to deter them from reporting on influential people.
Individuals with financial means use the threat of legal action to discourage outlets from publishing reports or to pressure journalists to retract. Those who file SLAPPs often aim to engage journalists or media outlets in a protracted legal battle that drains them financially rather than win in court.
In 2021, then MP and current Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni filed a criminal complaint for defamation against journalist Roberto Saviano for comments he made on a television program.
In December 2022, a court decided the journalist would go on trial. He faces three years in prison if convicted.
Saviano is also facing two other libel lawsuits brought by the leader of the far-right party and Deputy PM Matteo Salvini, as well as a case from current Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano. The three cases are currently ongoing.
Civil and criminal defamation laws in Italy are commonly abused in SLAPP cases.
The head of the Italian Journalism Chamber has called the abusive legal practice in the country “a democratic emergency.”
The Italian parliament has failed to institute a Constitutional Court ruling that calls for the government to remove rules that allow journalists to be imprisoned for defamation – except in cases of “exceptional gravity.”
Press freedom organizations have called on Italy to reform its laws to protect journalists immediately.
European Fight Against Abusive Lawsuits
SLAPP cases have been on the increase throughout Europe. In response, the European Commission has developed a directive to deal with abusive lawsuits targeting journalists and activists.
Known as “Daphne’s Law” after murdered Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia who faced numerous lawsuits for her work, it aims to limit transnational SLAPP cases in the EU.
Currently, in its approval process, the directive will allow courts to dismiss bogus cross-border lawsuits swiftly.
The cease-and-desist letter sent to Linda Di Benedetto is the first step in pursuing a lawsuit against the journalist. The frequency with which Italian politicians instigate bogus legal claims to muzzle press workers is deplorable. The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls on the Italian parliament to immediately implement anti-SLAPP legislation in line with EU standards, as well as its own Constitutional Court’s ruling on defamation law reform.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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