ARTICLE IN L’UNITA’

The Italian National Press Federation (FNSI) sent an urgent report this morning on what happened ton Nello Scavo in the last few days. The note was filed with the Osservatorio (observatory) on threatened reporters set up at the Ministry of the Interior and contains the long and alarming list of insults and intimidating attacks aimed at the journalist of “Avvenire”.

"We report with deep concern what Nello Scavo has suffered and is still undergoing - reads a note from the FNSI - in a series of intimidating insinuations addressed to the correspondent of the Catholic daily Avvenire, who is pays particular attention to the humanitarian problems of migrants. Threats that come from well-known subjects already involved in investigations for the murder in Malta of the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and from anonymous Twitter profiles, evidently linked to paramilitary groups operating in Libya ". The statement of the National Federation of the Italian press reconstructs what happened since July 26, when the Libyan Coast Guard warned the NGO “Sea Watch 3” ship, via a formal email, about carrying out humanitarian relief activities in the Libyan SAR zone. Such a warning appears illegitimate because it concerns international waters. The following day, July 27, 2021, following the formal warning, a Libyan patrol boat ordered “Sea Watch 3” to move away from the Libyan SAR, threatening to stop them in any way. On the evening of August 6, the account Migrant Rescue Watch @rogowans, attributable to a subject currently unknown but certainly close to the Libyan military and paramilitary formations, stated that for the Libyan Coast Guard all NGOs are "persona non grata" from the moment in which they enter the Libyan SAR (international waters). The Libyan authorities have not denied this claim in any way so far. On 7 August Nello Scavo publicly reported this disturbing news, recalling the ambiguity of the @rogowans account and its role in disseminating instrumental news. In response, Migrant Rescue Watch reacted with a series of tweets in which, among other things, it attacks Pope Francis, tagging, among others, the Undersecretary for the Interior of the Italian government, Nicola Molteni. The journalist Nello Scavo replied to these attacks by inviting the unknown holder of this account to come out of anonymity and to explain why he, who does not present himself as a journalist or as a member of any institution, declares himself "bound by non-disclosure agreements". On Sunday 8 August 2021, @rgowans was supported by the disturbing message of the well-known Maltese citizen Neville Gafa’, the protagonist in the past of a bitter smear campaign, on the eve of her murder, aimed at the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Gafà responded personally and on his own initiative on @rgowans' Twitter profile with these epithets: “Ignore bullshit. He (Nello Scavo) doesn't even know where Libya is ”. But who is Gafa? It has already appeared on other occasions in events involving journalists who follow migratory flows and other unclear routes. Gafà is mentioned in the final report of the Public Inquiry of the Commission of Maltese Magistrates, which ended last week, in which it was concluded that the Maltese State, due to its omissions and complicity, was responsible for not providing sufficient protection  to  Daphne Caruana Galizia which led to her murder.

Regarding the mud-slinging machine that paved the way for the elimination of the journalist, the final report relating to Gafà, among other things states: "Neville Gafà, another government official who painted Daphne Caruana Galizia as a witch" (...) "Mrs. Caruana Galizia was followed wherever she went and her photos were uploaded to Facebook along with derogatory comments both in Neville Gafa's posts and on Glenn Bedingfield's blog (another former government official, ed) and others”.

In recent months, another investigation has emerged in Malta on Gafà, who allegedly attempted to extort money from war-wounded Libyan citizens to obtain visas to enter Malta for health reasons. When he was denounced for this visa racket, Gafà allegedly asked a dozen Libyan civilians to withdraw the charges by offering €35,000 in exchange.

The FNSI has asked the Observatory of the Ministry of the Interior to take action to protect Nello Scavo's work in light of the latest attacks.