Giorgia Meloni: Italian PM sues Placebo frontman for defamation

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is suing Placebo vocalist Brian Molko for defamation aft helium launched into a rant against her during a gig successful Turin past month, Italian media report.

Mr Molko called Ms Meloni a fascist and a racist from the signifier of the Sonic Park festival.

Prosecutors successful Turin opened an probe into Mr Molko soon after.

Ms Meloni has not commented publically astir the contented though the BBC has approached her squad for a reaction.

Videos from the Placebo performance posted connected societal media amusement Mr Molko shouting an expletive astir the premier curate followed by the words "fascist, racist" successful Italian, to cheers from the audience.

A fewer days later, sources told Italian quality bureau Ansa that prosecutors successful Turin had opened an probe into the incidental for "defamation of [public] institutions".

Ms Meloni is person of the far-right Brothers of Italy enactment and heads Italy's astir right-wing authorities since World War Two. She has filed defamation lawsuits successful the past. Last year, she initiated ineligible enactment for aggravated transgression defamation against the editors of Domani newspaper.

Domani alleged Ms Meloni had tried to assistance an MP from her ain enactment triumph a authorities declaration to procure look masks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms Meloni rejected the allegation and sought damages of €25,000 (£21,500) from the paper. The proceedings is acceptable to commencement successful July 2024.

She besides filed a defamation suit against Roberto Saviano, a writer and the writer of Gomorrah, for calling her a "bastard" during a TV interrogation successful 2020 successful which helium denounced her for attacks connected migrant rescue NGOs.

The proceedings has been adjourned until October. If recovered guilty, Mr Saviano could look up to 3 years successful jail.

Under Italian law, immoderate defamation cases tin beryllium transgression and transportation a custodial sentence.