Rome court dismisses defamation case against Roberto Saviano

A Rome court judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by former Campania President Vincenzo De Luca against author Roberto Saviano. The legal action stemmed from Saviano’s May 2023 television interview on ‘Piazzapulita’, during which he described De Luca’s administration as “familistic”, “business-oriented”, and “dramatic”, while also referring to him as a “satrap”.

The judge ruled that Saviano’s remarks had “sufficient factual basis” to constitute a legitimate exercise of political criticism. While the court noted the language used was “objectively rough and provocative”, it determined the comments did not exceed the limits of acceptable discourse.

The ruling also addressed Saviano’s exclusion from the Ravello Festival, noting a “sufficient factual basis” regarding the circumstances of that event. In a statement, Saviano emphasized the principle that those in power must accept more intense criticism than private citizens to protect democratic participation.