Italy: Court Rules that Chinese Newspaper Libels Falun Gong

On June 3rd, 2008, Judge Dr. Iannolo of the Rome Criminal Court stated that the Chinese newspaper China Times libeled Falun Gong and that all defendants, including the China Times' director, sponsor and author of the article, committed crimes. Rome Criminal Court ruled that China Times slandered Falun Gong severely through media and committed the crime multiple times. The verdict will be read within sixty days.

The Italian Falun Dafa Association and Mr. Alfredo Fava, Director of the Association, won the case. It was the second case won in initial trial of similar cases for the Italian Falun Dafa Association.

Rossodivita Giuseppe, lawyer for the Italian Falun Dafa Association, said after hearing the ruling, "Though we are waiting for the verdict, I think the winning of the case has significant meaning after the long and arduous hearing and debate. Especially since in the trial of the case, the court accepted the pictures posted in the Chinese Embassy and Consulate as evidence for the first time. The Chinese Embassy supported the defendants, but the defendants could not verify the truth of the pictures, which were used to defame Falun Gong practitioners. I think the Court gave a harsher punishment than that proposed by the prosecutor after thorough and careful thinking, and based on the plaintiff's request, forced the defendants to publish the ruling result and verdict in the China Times for the Chinese community in Rome to know about the Chinese Communist Party's defamation and slandering of Falun Gong, which were lies and libel."

Mr. Alfredo Fava welcomed the ruling and gave a stern warning to the CCP's accomplices in Flushing, New York and the Chinese newspaper China Press about carrying slanderous articles. The Italian court's ruling is a warning to the CCP's accomplices that CCP followers will face charges in courts of democratic countries.

Background

Chinese newspaper China Times carried articles on December 8th, 2001 reporting that the Chinese Embassy in Rome would hold a picture exhibition slandering Falun Gong on December 14th in Via Bruxelles 56 Roma. The exhibition defamed and slandered Falun Gong and its founder. The Italian Falun Dafa Association charged libel against China Times.