Placebo rocker formally charged after calling Italian Prime Minister a ‘fascist Nazi’

British rocker and Placebo frontman Brian Molko has been charged with defamation after hurling insults at the Italian Prime Minister mid-performance. Giorgia Meloni sued Molko in August 2023 after he allegedly branded her a ‘fascist’ and a ‘Nazi’ while on stage in Turin. Lead vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist Molko reportedly also called Meloni a ‘piece of s**t’ during the gig at the Sonic Park festival in Stupinigi, which attracted a thousands-strong crowd.

Videos are also believed to have captured the performer, who founded Placebo in 1994, shouting ‘f**k you’, aimed at the politician. Then, in March 2024, it was reported that the Turin prosecutor was waiting ‘to determine Molko’s domicile’ as he resides in London. As of today, as first reported by Italian newspaper La Stampa, Italy’s justice ministry has approved a request from prosecutors to formally charge the 52-year-old Scottish-American star.

Meloni is the leader of Brothers of Italy, a far-right political party. She was first elected in October 2022 and is the first woman to hold the position. Her political stance has long divided voters, as she rose to success thanks to her anti-immigration policies and plans to limit LGBTQ+ rights. She previously said that her focus would be ‘traditional Christian family values’, as well as preventing abortions, renegotiating EU treaties, and lowering taxes.

Meloni also vowed to reduce access to surrogacy and adoption for same-sex couples. An investigation into possible defamation and ‘contempt of the institution’ from Molko was previously opened after Turin prosecutors responded to a complaint from cops at the festival. Defamation in Italy can lead to three years in prison, but a spokesman for Carlo Nordio, the justice minister, has said this is unlikely for Molko.

Instead, he looks to receive a fine of up to €5,000 (£4.2k) should the charges against him be upheld. The country’s criminal code punishes anyone who ‘publicly defames the republic.’ This includes the government, parliament, courts, and the army. As per Italian media, Molko’s ‘crime in question is subject to direct summons to trial’. This is not the first time legal action has been taken against harsh language used against Meloni publicly.

In 2023, she sued investigative journalist Roberto Saviano for calling her a ‘b***h’ due to her views on migration. The acclaimed author of Gomorrah was found guilty of defamation after his comments aired during a television interview discussing a baby from Guinea who died crossing the Mediterranean. Meloni launched the case before she was elected as PM. Saviano was fined €1,000 (£830). As per a report by the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee, since Meloni took power, Italy recorded the highest number of lawsuits against public participation.

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