Italy: Italian authorities should immediately stop the propagation of xenophobic hate against journalist Rula Jebreal – PUBLIC STATEMENT
On International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, newspapers owned by Italian media tycoon and politician Silvio Berlusconi, propagated a xenophobic hate speech against Italian journalist Rula Jebreal. They’ve targeted her with a barrage of articles, calling her a beast and an Islamist. The current Italian far right government, and Italian politicians supporting it, should immediately stop the propagation of xenophobic hate against journalist Rula Jebreal.
The United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers”.
The Italian Government, headed by prime minister Giorgia Meloni's first declarations on immigration and women's rights clearly raise fears of a huge setback for fundamental rights. More worrying for freedom of speech and the press; Giorgia Meloni has warned she might sue acclaimed journalist, writer, and commentator Rula Jebreal for accusing her of using foreigners as scapegoats.
Rula Jebreal, an Italian-Palestinian journalist who grew up in Jerusalem, said in a tweet that:
“MELONI IS NOT CULPABLE FOR THE CRIMES OF HER FATHER . . . BUT SHE OFTEN EXPLOITS THE CRIMES OF SOME FOREIGNERS TO CRIMINALISE IMMIGRANTS”.
The Swedish Observatory for Human Rights Information, finds that over the last several months, the Italian authorities is trying to restrict freedom of expression and severely elevates the risks faced by observers, journalists and other media workers for doing their jobs and criticising it.
“In general, media freedom has been deteriorating around the world over the past decade, even in some of the most influential democracies in the world. In Italy, the current far right government is overseeing concrete attempts to throttle the independence of the media sector. While the threats to global media freedom are real and concerning in their own right, their impact on the state of democracy is what makes them truly dangerous.”
- Ned EL-ATTAR, executive director, SOHRI
Italy’s Ministry of the Interior registered 232 acts of intimidation against journalists in 2021, representing a 42 percent increase from the 163 such events recorded the previous year. Organized crime threats—which have resulted in permanent police protection for a number of journalists—accounted for 11 percent of the acts, while 49 percent were attributed to social or political motivations. Putting that in context, we are deeply concerned about propagation of xenophobic hate against Ms. Rula Jebreal, as it incite violence against her, framing her as an “enemy” and signaling to some violent bases to target.
“Rula Jebreal is facing a far right government, which is currently undermining basic freedoms in Italy. A government presenting itself as the defender of an aggrieved majority against liberal elites and ethnic minorities whose loyalties they question, and argue that the interests of the nation—as they define it—should override democratic principles like press freedom, transparency, and open debate.”
- Ned EL-ATTAR, executive director, SOHRI
The Swedish Observatory for Human Rights Information, recommends the Italian government, the EU, and policymakers in all democratic nations, to ensure that their actions do not excuse or inspire violations of press freedom. Democratic nations have a particularly important role to play in maintaining media freedom. Words matter, and when the Italian prime minister verbally attack or threatens a journalist, or democratic countries fail to swiftly and vigorously condemn acts of repression such as Khashoggi’s murder, it sends a signal to undemocratic leaders around the world that assaults on the press and crimes against journalists are permissible.
The Swedish Observatory for Human Rights Information stands up publicly for the value of a free press, and support journalist and writer Rula Jebreal, standing firmly by her, against the xenophobic and hate speech she is facing for expressing her views.
As we believe:
