The Rome Court has convicted a blogger accused of defaming former Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio.
Judge Ezio Damizia has established the responsibility of journalist Giorgio Bianchi for having defamed Luigi Di Maio through various comments on social media. Bianchi, recognized as a sympathizer of Russian positions regarding the conflict in Ukraine, had accused Di Maio of being “at the service of NATO” in April 2022.
The legal proceedings were conducted with an abbreviated procedure, and in the end Bianchi was sentenced to pay a fine of 500 euros, with a suspended sentence. In addition, compensation is expected in favor of Luigi Di Maio, the amount of which will be defined in a civil context. Di Maio's defense was entrusted to the lawyer Gennaro Demetrio Paipais.
I read that the blogger was convicted of defamation but I don't really understand how justice works in these cases. Often comments on social media are opinions and should not lead to fines. Let's hope the situation becomes clearer.