Placebo frontman Brian Molko has been charged with defamation for allegedly calling Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni a “fascist” and a “Nazi” during a concert.
The 52-year-old rocker was charged over the comments made during the Sonic Park festival in Turin in 2023 — when he allegedly also called the country’s leader a “piece of s–t, fascist, racist,” according to The Telegraph.
The charges were filed on Monday after Turin prosecutors responded to a complaint from police during the concert and began investigating Molko for defamation and contempt.
Defamation in Italy can mean a prison sentence of up to three years. However, a spokesman for Justice Minister Carlo Nordio said that would be unlikely for Molko, who would more likely face a fine of about $5,200 if convicted.
Italy’s criminal code punishes anyone who “publicly defames the republic,” including the government, parliament, courts and the army.
It’s not the first time legal action has been taken against someone criticizing Meloni publicly.
Meloni successfully sued investigative journalist Roberto Saviano for calling her a “bastard” due to her hard-line views on migration. Saviano was found guilty of defamation in 2023 and fined just over $1,000.
Last year, Meloni dropped a defamation lawsuit against a veteran historian who allegedly said that she was a “neo-Nazi in her soul” when she was in opposition in April 2022.
