Roberto Saviano, a prominent Italian journalist, won a 17-year legal battle on July 14th when an appeals court in Rome upheld a 2021 verdict against Camorra boss Francesco Bidognetti and his lawyer, Michele Santonastaso, for mafia-related threats. Bidognetti, head of the Casalesi clan, received a one-and-a-half-year sentence, and Santonastaso received a year and two months. The threats, made publicly in March 2008 during the "Spartacus" maxi-trial, directly implicated Saviano and journalist Rosaria Capacchione for Bidognetti's potential conviction. The court's decision recognizes the threats as an act of intimidation directly linked to Bidognetti's criminal enterprise.

The threats, delivered via a public "proclamation" read by Santonastaso, were an unprecedented act in mafia trials. It explicitly blamed Saviano and Capacchione for Bidognetti's imprisonment, highlighting the Camorra's view of investigative journalists as a primary obstacle. The court ruling acknowledges this perspective, establishing for the first time that a criminal organization considers the written word its greatest fear.

The case underscores the significant risks faced by journalists investigating organized crime and the ongoing struggle against the mafia's influence in Italy. Saviano continues to live under police protection.

Impact Statement: The ruling sets a legal precedent, recognizing the gravity of threats against journalists by organized crime and emphasizing the role of investigative reporting in combating the mafia.