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A weaponry exploded extracurricular the location of 1 of Italy’s apical investigative journalists precocious connected Thursday (October 16, 2025), damaging 2 cars belonging to his household and prompting messages of solidarity for the newsman from colleagues and politicians.
Sigfrido Ranucci, who hosts authorities broadcaster RAI’s play “Report” programme, has been nether constabulary extortion for years. He said some helium and his newsroom had received regular threats of assorted kinds, including being sent bullets.
The rudimentary device, weighing astir 1 kg (2.2 lb), was planted extracurricular the beforehand gross of Mr. Ranucci’s location successful Campo Ascolano, astir 30 km (19 miles) southbound of Rome, the writer said connected Friday (October 17).
It went disconnected astatine 10:17 p.m. (2017 GMT), astir 20 minutes aft helium had returned home, and wrecked 2 cars -- 1 belonging to Mr. Ranucci and the different to his daughter.
Nobody was injured, with Mr. Ranucci saying, “apart from the shock, everything is OK”.
ANSA quality agency said anti-Mafia prosecutors had opened an probe for transgression harm with aggravating circumstances of mafia-style methods.
Earlier this week, the Italian journalists’ federation FNSI said 81 reporters had been victims of acts of intimidation, including 16 cases of carnal assault, successful the archetypal fractional of 2025, up from 46 successful the aforesaid play of 2024.
Solidarity from Prime Minister, armoured car extortion
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the “serious enactment of intimidation”, adding that “freedom and independency of accusation are indispensable values of our democracies, which we volition proceed to defend”.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said Mr. Ranucci’s constabulary escort would beryllium stepped up. The writer said separately helium would beryllium fixed an armoured car.
The International Federation of Journalists said the weaponry onslaught was “particularly troubling” arsenic it coincided with the day of the 2017 execution of anti-corruption writer Daphne Caruana Galizia successful Malta.
“(We) powerfully condemn the attempted execution of a journalist, which constitutes a nonstop battle connected media freedom, and urgently telephone for a thorough probe to guarantee that the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice,” it said.
“Report”, Italy’s best-known investigative journalism programme, has often clashed with the government, resulting successful respective Ms. Meloni allies - including Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, Industry Minister Adolfo Urso, and her caput of furniture Gaetano Caputi - suing the show.
