Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has sued Placebo’s Brian Molko for defamation following a performance at last month’s Sonic Park Stupinigi festival outside Turin, where the frontman called Meloni “racist,” “fascist,” and a “piece of shit.” According to the Daily Beast and Politico, local authorities reported Molko after finding clips of the performance on social media, which prompted a “contempt of the institutions” investigation.
Meloni leads the far-right Brothers of Italy party and reportedly has a history of taking legal action against people who openly criticize her. Last fall, she sued two reporters from the Italian newspaper Domani for aggravated criminal defamation. Around the same time, she filed a separate defamation suit against writer Roberto Saviano, who called her a “bastard” on TV in response to her comment that NGO rescue boats trying to rescue refugees should be sunk. The latter trial has been adjourned until October, but if found guilty, Saviano could face up to three years in prison.
