Latest news from Cagliari, Naples, Brescia, T.Imerese

In these cities, courts have issued important decisions on cases we had previously reported on. These are important updates in the light of fighting against impunity for attacks against journalists in Italy.

CAGLIARI – Francesca Barracciu, under-secretary in the Ministry of Culture in the Gentiloni government, has emerged from the trial for defamation of the journalist of La Nuova Sardegna, Mauro Lissia in which she was the defendant, with a plea bargain. The sentence of a fine of 600 euro will be formally confirmed on the 15th October 2018 by the court of Cagliari. In March 2015, the journalist had published an article on the judicial process in which Barracciu was accused of graft (and was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison). In response Barracciu had insulted the journalist on Facebook and for this reason, she had been sued. With the ending of the criminal process, the civil case continues for the damages.
Read the complete news on La Nuova Sardegna.

NAPOLI – the court of Naples has imposed a five-year DASPO (a ban on attending sporting events) on Alberto Mattera, the fan who on the 6th May 2018 had threatened the journalist Carlo Alvino (TV Luna) outside the San Paolo stadium in Naples before the match with Torino, blocking him from continuing his live TV broadcast and insisting that he went away. Alvino had not reported the incident but the Prosecutor began ex officio proceedings.
The DASPO follows on from the ban on Mattera and other two individuals on remaining in the Fuorigrotta neighbourhood issued in July this year (read here).
Read the news on Anteprima24.it

BRESCIA – The Review Court of Brescia on the 25th July 2018 annulled the confiscation of the mobile phone and the tablet of the journalist Andrea Cittadini, a collaborator with the Giornale di Brescia. The confiscation had been ordered by the Prosecutor during the search of the journalist’s home on the 24th July 2018 (read here).
Cittadini was charged with revealing an official secret along with other unknown persons and the arbitrary publication of the records of a criminal proceeding for the publication of two investigations.
The review court ruled that the original instruction was illegitimate and ordered the immediate return of the confiscated material.
Read the news on Il Giornale di Brescia.

TERMINI IMERESE – On the 11th September 2018 the Court of Termini Imerese with a shortened trial sentenced the brothers Nicola and Giuliano Ficile for the threats directed on the 29th July 2017 at the journalist Giuseppe Spallino (read here) a correspondent of the Giornale di Sicilia. Another individual charged, Veronica Arata, will face a trial of normal duration.
Nicola Ficile was sentenced to 6 months and 20 days on the basis of assault. His brother Giuliano was sentenced to 3 months and 10 days for serious threats.
Spallino was the party in the civil suit and the judge awarded him a provisional sum of 14,000 euro. The Sicilian branch of the Order of Journalists, the other civil party, received damages of 6,000 euro.
Read the news on the web site of the Sicilian branch of the Order of Journalists.

DB (wt)