From death threats on social media to trial . Four people are scheduled to appear before the Rome Court on November 4th, charged with making serious threats to animal rights activist Enrico Rizzi. The incident, as Rizzi himself recalls on social media, dates back about "a year and a half ago," when he announced a demonstration in Cagliari dedicated to the defense of animals and denouncing their mistreatment . As the activist recounts, and as reported in the prosecutor's office documents, that announcement sparked a full-blown hate campaign on social media, with offensive messages and death threats.
Among the messages reported in the documents are phrases in which the defendants allegedly suggested " hanging him from a tree and feeding him to the pigs ," preventing him from leaving Sardinia once he arrived on the island, or even " blowing him up ." In some cases , voice messages and photographs of weapons were also allegedly sent. This situation was deemed so serious that "the police had to call in the bomb squad while I was in the square." "I didn't respond with more hatred. I did what every citizen should do: I reported it," Rizzi added on Facebook.
"Social networks are not a land without rules. Behind a keyboard, you can't threaten or intimidate someone and expect to go unpunished," he commented, emphasizing that the indictment sends "an important message" against online hate. "I will continue to defend animals, as I have for twenty years. Threats didn't stop me then, and they won't stop me now. See you in court ," the animal rights activist concluded.
(Unioneonline/vf)
