Placebo guitarist charged with defamation after calling Italian Prime Minister a “piece of s**t, fascist, racist”
Brian Molko, guitarist and vocalist of Placebo, is being charged with defamation after he called the Italian Prime Minister a “piece of shit, fascist, racist” in Italian while performing at a festival in Turin in 2023.
The Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, sued Molko in August 2023 over the remarks he made while on stage at Sonic Park Festival. An investigation into the claims was then opened, leading to Molko being charged with “contempt of the institutions”. Meloni leads the Brothers of Italy party and the hard-right coalition that has led the country since 2022.
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As per The Guardian, Italy’s justice ministry allowed prosecutors in Turin to move forward with the legal proceedings on Monday (17 February). A spokesperson for Placebo said there would be no comment. The outlet reports that defaming the Italian government, parliament, courts or army carries a fine of up to €5,000 (£4,146) and a direct summons to trial. Public defamation in Italy can carry a prison term of up to three years, though a spokesperson for justice minister Carlo Nordio has said Molko is unlikely to receive a custodial sentence.
Italy has one of the highest rates of libel suits against the media in Europe, and this isn’t the first time that Meloni has taken legal action after someone has publicly criticised her. As for her policies, Meloni has formerly said she wishes to promote ‘traditional family values’, with her stance against the LGBTQ+ community seemingly leading to a recent ban of surrogacy.
Placebo’s most recent album was 2022’s Never Let Me Go. The band also released a live in Europe album, Collapse Into Never, in 2023.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
