Eni has filed at least six defamation suits against journalists like Antonio Tricarico and NGOs like his ReCommon or Greenpeace since 2019 in what critics say is intimidation campaign. A coalition of NGOs including Reporters Without Borders and Transparency International awarded Eni the title of “Slapp addict of the year” for its defamation lawsuits. Da […]
When Antonio Tricarico was summoned to his local police station in October and told he was being investigated for defamation, he was stressed but not shocked. Months earlier, Tricarico, the director of the Italian environment NGO ReCommon, had filed a joint legal challenge against the country’s biggest oil company, Eni, which he knew had a history of using lawyers to clamp down on critics.
The company had previously limited itself to civil defamation lawsuits, including against ReCommon, but in Tricarico’s case it initiated criminal proceedings over statements he had made in a television interview.
“There is intimidation against myself, for sure, which is not nice and is impacting daily work,” said Tricarico, who is now considering the energy and resources that would be needed if the case goes to trial. “But I think the intimidation is broader.”
Environment groups say Eni is engaging in a campaign to stifle critics, with the company having filed at least six defamation lawsuits against journalists and NGOs since January 2019.
