New York, October 9, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Italian authorities to end all legal proceedings against investigative journalist Simone Innocenti, charged with leaking “official secrets” in connection with his reporting, following an October 4 appeals court decision to uphold the legality of the search of his home and seizure of his devices.
“The Italian appeals court’s decision to uphold the legality of the July 2024 search of investigative journalist Simone Innocenti’s home is disappointing,” said CPJ’s Europe representative, Attila Mong in Berlin. “A journalist’s right to protect sources is a cornerstone of the profession. Journalists in Italy should not have to fear unwarranted searches and seizures. Italian authorities should drop all criminal investigations against Simone Innocenti and stop harassing him for simply doing his job.”
Prosecutors in Florence launched a pre-trial investigation against Innocenti, a reporter with the Corriere Fiorentino investigative news site, accusing him of conspiring with public officials to reveal information in his May 2024 report about a police academy student’s suicide. The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of three years. The court ruling follows Innocenti’s appeal after police searched his home in July 2024, seizing his computer and mobile phone.
CPJ’s emails to the Prosecutor’s Office in Florence for comment on the ruling did not receive any reply.