Overview

• The court confirmed the 2021 verdict sentencing Francesco Bidognetti to 18 months and Michele Santonastaso to 14 months for publicly threatening journalists.
• Threats were issued during a hearing of the 2008 Spartacus Trial when Santonastaso read a statement intimidating Roberto Saviano and former senator Rosaria Capacchione.
• Italy’s National Press Federation (FNSI) and the College of Journalists joined as private accusers to bolster the defense of press freedom in the appeal.
• Saviano, under police protection since publishing Gomorra in 2006, called the ruling the most important of his life after a decade and a half of legal proceedings.
• The decision highlights Italy’s resolve to protect investigative reporting from organized crime intimidation and reinforce judicial accountability.