Reporters Without Borders has called on Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to put a stop to his attacks and lawsuits against the press.“Berlusconi is on the verge of being added to our list of Predators of Press Freedom,” RWB secretary-general Jean-François Julliard said. “This would be a first for a European leader. We are also about to release the latest version of our press freedom index and Italy has every chance of being ranked last among the European Union member countries.”
Berlusconi has brought a 1-million-euro libel action against the newspaper La Repubblica because it has been pressing him to respond to questions about his private life, in particular his relationships with a teenage girl and female escorts who say they have attended parties at his villas in Rome and Sardinia.
At the same time, the daily L’Unità is being sued for 3 million euros over its coverage of alleged corruption in connection with receptions organised for the prime minister. Lawsuits have been brought against the Spanish daily El País over photos of one of Berlusconi's parties and against the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur over a report headlined “Sex, power and lies” about the Russian mafia’s alleged infiltration into the leadership of the Italian government.
RWB says Berlusconi is also considering suits against Rupert Murdoch’s English-language newspapers, which could add to the conflict of interests arising from the fact that he is Italy’s premier and a media magnate at the same time.
A demonstration in defence of press freedom took place in Rome yesterday.
Berlusconi has brought a 1-million-euro libel action against the newspaper La Repubblica because it has been pressing him to respond to questions about his private life, in particular his relationships with a teenage girl and female escorts who say they have attended parties at his villas in Rome and Sardinia.
At the same time, the daily L’Unità is being sued for 3 million euros over its coverage of alleged corruption in connection with receptions organised for the prime minister. Lawsuits have been brought against the Spanish daily El País over photos of one of Berlusconi's parties and against the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur over a report headlined “Sex, power and lies” about the Russian mafia’s alleged infiltration into the leadership of the Italian government.
RWB says Berlusconi is also considering suits against Rupert Murdoch’s English-language newspapers, which could add to the conflict of interests arising from the fact that he is Italy’s premier and a media magnate at the same time.
A demonstration in defence of press freedom took place in Rome yesterday.
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