Italian political libel lawsuits
The Guardian reports on political libel lawsuits in Italy, where a number of book publishers and magazines reportedly face bankruptcy due to damages awarded to government ministers and their allies. In many cases, journalists have been prosecuted for reporting simple factual information.
And Mr Berlusconi – Italy’s richest man and biggest publisher – has
been leading the way. Offended by the contents of two books and a
special edition of a magazine, he and some of his close associates
are seeking more than £30m in damages from the authors and publishers
responsible. If damages are awarded anywhere close to the figures
being sought, it would mean bankruptcy for the small, independent
publishers.[...]
Individual journalists currently face compensation demands equivalent
– Guardian, Damaging democracy.
to the annual revenues of the country’s biggest newspapers, he said.
There are many examples of the anomalous operation of the law. One
reporter was convicted of libel for quoting the words of a
magistrate,
while the magistrate himself was acquitted. In other cases, the
authors of books have been ordered to pay damages for quoting from
national newspapers – which have never been sued themselves.