Italy: Roberto Saviano cleared of defaming Italian Deputy Prime Minister

‘PEN International welcomes the court’s verdict, as it reaffirms the vital role of free expression. However, the abusive lawsuit initiated by Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister sent a chilling warning to writers and journalists across the country that they too could be next. While we celebrate the good news, we must remember that Saviano fought these preposterous charges for years. We continue to stand with Saviano and reiterate calls on the Italian authorities to repeal criminal defamation. No one should be intimidated and harassed into silence merely for their critical expression’, said Burhan Sonmez, PEN International President. 

17 April 2026 – The Italian authorities must urgently repeal all criminal defamation laws and enact legislation protecting writers, journalists and others from strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), PEN International said today, after writer, journalist, and PEN award winner Roberto Saviano was cleared of defaming Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini following a years-long trial.   

On 16 April 2026, a court in Rome found Roberto Saviano not guilty of defaming Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini – then also serving as Interior Minister –  over a speech that described him as ‘Ministro della Mala Vita’ (Minister of the Underworld), a phrase borrowed from early 20th century anti-fascist Gaetano Salvemini. In his speech, Saviano accused Salvini of ignoring the mafia stranglehold on Italy in favour of stirring up resentment against immigrants. Saviano first announced on 20 March 2019 that he had been summoned to stand trial under Article 595 of the Italian Penal Code, which carries up to three years in prison. The trial opened on 1 February 2023. Already in 2018, Salvini had threatened to remove Saviano’s police protection, in place since October 2006 after Saviano received threats from the mafia following the March 2006 publication of his bestseller Gomorrah. PEN International repeatedly urged the Italian authorities to dismiss all criminal defamation charges against Saviano, in a lawsuit that bore the hallmarks of a SLAPP.  

Previously, on 12 October 2023, Saviano was found guilty and fined for defaming Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after he criticised her 2020 speech in which she said that NGO boats attempting to rescue refugees in the central Mediterranean should be seized and sunk, and the migrants on board repatriated. PEN International condemned the verdict as an alarming setback for free speech. Saviano subsequently decided not to appeal.  

PEN International opposes criminal defamation in all cases. Notably, in September 2023, the Assembly of Delegates of PEN International adopted a resolution on criminal defamation laws and SLAPPs, which specifically called for all charges against Saviano to be dropped. PEN International joins partners in welcoming the approval of the European delegation law, which grants Italy’s government the mandate to transpose Directive (EU) 2024/1069, better known as the Anti-SLAPP Directive. The deadline for implementation has been set for 7 May 2026. 

Additional information  

Roberto Saviano, born on 22 September 1979, is the author of Gomorrah, an international bestseller that has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Other books include La bellezza e l’inferno (Beauty and the inferno) (2009); Vieni via con me (Come away with me) (2011), ZeroZeroZero (2013), La paranza dei bambini (The children’s boat) (2016), In mare non esistono taxi (There are no taxis at sea) (2019), Gridalo (Shout it) (2020), Solo è il coraggio (Only courage) (2022). He has written several screenplays and theatre scripts and regularly contributes to newspapers and magazines. 

On 14 July 2025, a court in Rome upheld convictions handed down in 2021 against Francesco Bidognetti, a former leader of the Neapolitan Camorra mafia, and his former lawyer Michele Santonastaso. They were sentenced to 18 months and 14 months in prison, respectively, for intimidating Roberto Saviano. The mafia-related threats – read out in court in March 2008 by Santonastaso on behalf of Bidognetti as the latter stood trial – forced Saviano to live under 24-hour protection.  

Note to editors: 

For further details, contact Aurélia Dondo, Head of Europe and Central Asia Region at PEN International: [email protected] 

 For media queries, please contact  Sabrina Tucci, Communications and Campaigns Manager at PEN International: [email protected]