The Milan Police Department has assigned armed protection to Mario Sechi, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Libero, following what he describes as "serious, concrete, direct" threats from anarcho-insurrectionist circles. The Milan department has jurisdiction over Sechi's residence in the Lombardy region. The measure comes after Sechi penned a series of editorials about two anarchists who died in a bomb-making accident in Rome on March 20, 2026—a story that has since triggered a wave of intimidation against him and reignited debate over press freedom in a country where more than 200 journalists already live under some form of police surveillance.
Why This Matters
• Security escalation: Sechi joins over 30 Italian journalists now traveling with armed escorts, the highest concentration in Europe.
• Political flashpoint: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella have both issued public statements condemning the threats, framing them as an attack on democratic institutions.
• Publisher fallout: Sechi announced on May 28 that he was simultaneously fired by Libero's owner, Antonio Angelucci, a center-right politician and healthcare entrepreneur who owns multiple Italian newspapers, at the same time the protection order was issued—raising questions about editorial independence under threat.
The Incident That Sparked the Threats
The protection order stems directly from Sechi's coverage of Alessandro Mercogliano, 53, and Sara Ardizzone, 35, two anarchists linked to the so-called "Cospito group" who were killed between the evening of March 19 and the early hours of March 20, 2026 in the Casale del Sellaretto, an abandoned farmhouse inside Rome's Parco degli Acquedotti.
Investigators believe the pair were assembling a homemade explosive device when it detonated prematurely. Mercogliano's body showed severe burns and a mutilated arm consistent with handling explosives at the moment of detonation; Ardizione is believed to have died when the roof collapsed. Police recovered nails, metal fragments, herbicides, and fertilizers from the scene—materials consistent with rudimentary bomb construction.
Both were known to authorities. Mercogliano had been investigated in the "Scripta Manent" probe into the Informal Anarchist Federation but was acquitted on appeal. Ardizzone, investigated under the "Sibilla" proceedings, had publicly declared herself an enemy of the Italian state and was involved in an attack on an electoral booth in Tuscany.
The Rome Public Prosecutor's Office opened a terrorism investigation, and the Ministry of Interior convened the Strategic Anti-Terrorism Analysis Committee (CASA). Authorities are exploring whether the device was intended for a "demonstrative action" tied to the detention conditions of Alfredo Cospito, a prominent anarchist held under the strict 41-bis prison regime. A court ruling on Cospito's status was expected in May, leading investigators to speculate the bomb may have been timed to coincide with that decision. Possible targets in Rome's southeast quadrant—a railway hub, a police station, or a Carabinieri barracks—are under scrutiny.
What This Means for Press Freedom in Italy
Italy now holds the unenviable distinction of being the European country with the most journalists under threat and protection. According to the Ossigeno Observatory for Information, 759 journalists, bloggers, and activists faced intimidation or threats by 2025—a 47% increase from the 516 cases recorded in 2024.
Threats are no longer dominated by organized crime, the traditional source. Today, political extremism, subversive movements, and investigations into white-collar crime account for a growing share. The Criminalpol division of the Italy Ministry of Interior logged 81 intimidation episodes in the first half of 2025, a 76% jump from the same period in 2024. Of those, 40 were linked to socio-political contexts, 28 to common crime, and 11 to organized crime.
Physical violence has also surged. Attacks involving explicit violence rose 26% compared to mere threats, and collective intimidation targeting entire newsrooms or groups of journalists climbed 38%, from 60 to 81 cases in 2025. Strategic lawsuits designed to silence journalists—known as SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation)—spiked 67%, affecting 117 journalists. Italy ranked fourth in Europe for SLAPP cases in 2024, with 62 incidents.
The geography of threat is concentrated: Piedmont, Lombardy, and Lazio accounted for half of all recorded intimidation in 2025, with sharp increases in the north.
Government and Political Response
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Sechi's former boss when he served as her press chief at Palazzo Chigi, issued a statement on social media: "No intimidation can undermine freedom of expression and a journalist's right to do their job. Firm condemnation of all forms of intolerance and political hatred."
Senate President Ignazio La Russa described the threats as an attempt to "strike at a fundamental pillar of our democratic institutions." Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli echoed the sentiment, stating that "attacking a journalist through intimidation and verbal violence means attacking one of the essential bastions of democratic life."
League leader and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini declared "no tolerance for the violent and hateful." Defense Minister Guido Crosetto expressed solidarity, condemning "attacks that have once again replaced civil confrontation."
Giovanni Donzelli, a deputy and organizational head of Fratelli d'Italia, condemned "the cowardice of those who, through violence, try to condition the work of the press" and called for "unanimous condemnation" across the political spectrum. Undersecretary Giovanbattista Fazzolari added: "Those who think they can stop his pen with these methods are mistaken: I know Mario Sechi, and I'm certain he won't be intimidated."
From the opposition, Five Star Movement leader Giuseppe Conte telephoned Sechi to express solidarity and condemn "violent drifts that in no case can undermine freedom of expression."
Impact on Daily Life and Work
Sechi told ANSA that the protection detail has "revolutionized" his daily routines and become "a constant source of worry" for himself, his family, and the officers assigned to him. Yet he insisted: "I'm calm, I continue to work," adding that "no journalist should be left alone."
He thanked the Italy police forces and investigators, calling them "exceptional," and stressed that "the defense of press freedom" depends on the personal security of journalists.
The Unirai-Figec union and the Roman Press Association also issued statements of support.
The Dismissal Paradox
On May 28, the same day his protection was formalized, Sechi announced on social media that Antonio Angelucci, the publisher of Libero, had dismissed him. The timing has raised eyebrows in Italian media circles, with some observers questioning whether editorial pressure—internal or external—played a role. Neither Angelucci nor Libero has issued a public explanation for the termination.
The dual events underscore the precarious position of Italian journalists who cover politically sensitive or security-related topics: they face threats from extremists and potential professional consequences from publishers wary of controversy or litigation.
A Broader European Context
The European Commission has expressed concern over the high number of attacks and threats against journalists in Italy and has recommended that the Italian government proceed with legislative reforms on defamation and professional secrecy protections, ensuring these reforms do not negatively impact press freedom.
Italy's legal framework for journalist protection includes Article 622 of the Penal Code, which punishes the breach of professional secrecy; Law 69/1963, which obligates journalists to protect confidential sources; and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which explicitly defends journalistic sources. A Coordination Center for the Protection of Journalists, operating under the Ministry of Interior with support from Criminalpol, monitors and responds to acts of intimidation.
Yet the statistics suggest these protections are struggling to keep pace with evolving threats. Journalists such as Massimo Giletti (under escort since 2020 due to mafia threats), Lirio Abbate, and Paolo Borrometi have lived for years under armed guard. Recent cases include an assault on the Turin offices of La Stampa by far-left activists in 2025, attacks on reporters in La Spezia in January 2026, and alleged use of spyware against Ciro Pellegrino of Fanpage.
The Sechi case is not an isolated incident but part of a troubling pattern that positions Italy as the most dangerous place in Europe for journalists to operate.
