Italy: Neofascist attack on journalist Andrea Joly must be punished

Rome: On 22 August 2024, Italian state police arrested four suspects from the neofascist group CasaPound for the violent physical attack on the Italian journalist Andrea Joly in Turin in July.

The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) join their Italian affiliate, the National Federation of the Italian Press (FNSI) in condemning this brutal assault and calling on the Italian authorities to take immediate and decisive action against extremist groups like CasaPound, which must be deterred from committing such attacks.

On the night of 20 July 2024, CasaPound’s militants were holding a party in a club called ‘Asso di Bastoni’, in the city of Turin in northern Italy. Andrea Joly, a reporter for the daily newspaper La Stampa, began secretly filming the gathering after seeing smoke bombs and fireworks coming from the party. Two militants approached him to confront him and to demand his phone. As he refused and tried to leave, they started grabbing him by the neck and kicking him violently. The assault left the journalist with injuries that required medical attention.

“I was afraid of being strangled. I couldn’t breathe. I was simply doing my job,” said Andrea Joly while recounting his harrowing experience for La Stampa.

Four individuals are currently under house arrest and an investigation is underway to determine the involvement of a fifth suspect. They face charges of causing bodily harm, with facilitating an organisation aiming to foment “discrimination or ethnic, national, racial or religious hatred”, according to the Italian news agency ANSA. The public prosecutor’s office in Turin declared that there was “the danger of repetition of crimes of the same nature” related to the “violent nature” and “strong criminal instincts” of the perpetrators.

“The FNSI stands in full support with Andrea Joly and will be present at the trial as a civil party alongside its colleague,” said FNSI General Secretary Alessandra Costante.

Since January 2024, the Media Freedom Rapid Response platform has documented eleven cases of physical attacks on journalists in Italy. The worrying situation of journalists, who are intimidated for their critical reporting, was recently emphasised by the European Commission in its fifth annual Rule of Law Report, published on 24 July. “Cases of physical attacks, death threats and other forms of intimidation have been reported, which continue to raise concerns about the safety of journalists in Italy,” the report warned in its focus on Italy.

The assault on Andrea Joly has sparked widespread condemnation of CasaPound and renewed calls for decisive action against extremist groups in Italy. Opposition leaders widely called for the dissolution of CasaPound, including Carlo Calenda, leader of the centrist party Azione.

“We urge the Italian authorities not only to prosecute the perpetrators but also to take decisive action against such organisations. This is a crucial test of Italy’s adherence to EU standards and the recommendations outlined in the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report on press freedom and safety of journalists,” said EFJ General Secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “Journalists and media workers deserve to work without fear of attacks or threats. The authorities must ensure that press freedom is upheld and take immediate action to protect journalists and bring those responsible for these attacks to justice.”