Reporters stopped and searched, Pd-M5s-Avs ask Piantedosi to clarify. The agenda: “Infringement of freedom of the press”. Fnsi: “Preventive censorship”

A chorus of condemnation for the stop and search of Angela Nittoli, collaborator of Ilfattoquotidiano.it, of the Corriere della Sera photographer Massimo Barsoum and of the freelance videomaker Roberto Di Matteo, comes from the centre-left. And the Order of Journalists, the Fnsi union, the Roman Press Association and various others also take sides against the police’s modus operandi. […]

A chorus of condemnation for the stop and search of Angela Nittolicollaborator of Ilfattoquotidiano.itby the photographer of Corriere della Sera Massimo Barsoum and the freelance videomaker Roberto Di Matteocomes from centre-left. And against the modus operandi of the police also deployOrder of journaliststhe union FnsiL’Roman Press Association and several editorial boards. The Democratic partyThe M5s And Greens and Left Alliance they directly call into question the Interior Ministryinvited to clarify things “immediately”, asks Andrea Orlandoregarding identification and stopped shortly before a demonstration action of Last generation in Rome of the three journalists, watched in the police station and even accompanied to the bathroom. “These episodes must not be underestimated in any way as they constitute alarm bells that risk compromising fundamental rights like that of information”, says the Democratic MP who was Minister of Justice in the Renzi government.

The information officer of the Democratic Party Sandro Ruotolo defines “disconcerting” the detention and attacks: “Piantedosi has the duty to give an explanation to public opinion and to those journalists”. The deputy is tough Emiliano Fossidem secretary in Tuscany: “If the news about the reporters identified while following the Ultima Generazione action were confirmed it would be a intimidating episode almost unprecedented that it would violate freedom of information in our country and the professional and human dignity of the journalists involved – he writes in a note – We use the conditional because these are very serious facts, on which full light must be made in a short time, which would reveal a police regime who would like not only to influence information but silence dissent in any way and by any means. It must therefore above all be understood whether they are public security agents whose situation has gotten out of hand or who precise instructions from above”.

Nicola Fratoiannirecalling previous episodes of Messina And Paduaspeaks of “the behavior of the police now unsustainable and that he must have clear answers from the leaders of the Rome police headquarters and the Interior Ministry and from the government” and announces aparliamentary question asking that “all political forces take a unanimous position in defense of the freedom of the press because the tolerability level is now largely exceeded.” The deputy Angelo Bonelli underlines how it is “unthinkable that in a democratic state journalists and photographers are placed in custody” and adds: “Not only is it a question of guaranteeing the right to freedom of the press to journalists who carry out their job, but we must note that that of Piantedosi is now one Police state which resembles those regimes where journalists cannot carry out their work and are arrested, as in Russia Of Putin”.

Solidarity also from M5s: “Journalistic, documentation and filming work must always be guaranteed, respecting everyone’s safety conditions but ensuring the full exercise of freedom of the press,” says the senator Barbara Florida, president of the Rai supervisory commission. The five-star group leaders in the Constitutional Affairs commissions, Alfonso Colucci And Alessandra Maiorinodefine the episode “serious and disturbing” and they underline how they were “treated like criminals”. For the M5s it is “press repression” which “undermines the foundations of the good health of democracy”. Colucci and Maiorino announce that they will present “a parliamentary question very shortly”.

The president of the Journalists’ Association, Carlo Bartolirecalls that last May 10th the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi had reassured the representatives of the Odg and the Fnsi union regarding the “protection of journalists in carrying out their work in full compliance with the right to the press”. And instead it happened again: “We reiterate it firmly: journalists regularly registered with the Order and equipped with a professional card have not only the right, but the duty to follow news events and their work cannot be interrupted without valid and well-founded reasons from the police – remarks Bartoli – We would not like the arrest of journalists to become a practice. AND unconstitutional and harmful to the freedom of the press and the right of citizens to be informed”.

The National Federation of the Italian Press for which the arrest is also critical “preventive censorship” and “blatant violation of press laws andarticle 21 of the Constitution”. A “very serious episode” for the Roman Press Association and the Cdr In-depth Rai that define it “unworthy” of “a very democratic country worrying on which it must be done immediate clarity”. For Gv Press, the Italian Association of video-maker journalists, it is “unacceptable to see a democratic right such as freedom of the press still undermined” and asks for “immediate clarifications”. In addition to the editorial committees of Ilfattoquotidiano.it And Daily factsolidarity with the three colleagues also came from the Cdr of the Corriere della Sera that has “stigmatized” the fact.

“Freedom of information is now prevented by police arrests. There new frontier of the gag to journalism in this country now passes from preventative block of reporters”, attacks the executive Usigrai. “In the space of a few months – adds the union – there have been several reports of colleagues who are forcibly denied the right to report. In asking for full light to be shed on what happened, Usigrai expresses strong concern for this shape creeping control And conditioning which in fact violates the democratic rules guaranteed by the Constitution”. Of episode “paradoxical” speaks You will unite recalling that “journalists, photographers and camera operators carry out a fundamental role for the exercise of freedom of information in a democratic state”.