Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Russian envoy sues Italian newspaper over Putin murder article

Russian envoy sues Italian newspaper over Putin murder article

La Stampa’s editor in chief strongly denies the allegations by Sergey Razov.
Russia’s ambassador to Italy announced Friday he was suing La Stampa after claiming the daily newspaper encouraged violence against Russian President Vladimir Putin in an article.

Speaking through a translator, Sergey Razov accused the newspaper of “soliciting and condoning a crime,” Reuters reported, after La Stampa published an article entitled “Ukraine-Russia war: if killing Putin is the only way out” on March 22 — allegations its editor in chief strongly denies.

The article, an analysis of whether Putin’s murder would morally and practically be a good thing, is ambiguous and stops short of calling for the Russian leader to be killed. While the author, Domenico Quirico, discusses different scenarios for Putin’s assassination, he also argues that killing a “dictator” bears similarities to “practices of terrorism” and suggests doing so could “trigger a worse chaos.”

But the Russian ambassador slammed the article. “It goes without saying that this is outside the ethics and morals and rules of journalism,” said Razov, as he exited the prosecutor’s office in Rome.

“I have been working in Italy for eight years … we have gone to great lengths to build bridges, strengthen relationships in economics, culture and other fields — but, with regret, now everything has been turned upside down,” he added.

La Stampa’s editor in chief pushed back against Razov’s allegations in a video published later Friday. Massimo Giannini said his newspaper won’t accept lessons from Russia and noted that “we love freedom, we will continue to defend it despite all the threats and all the intimidation, because we know we are on the right side of history.”

Giannini argued that the article only stated that killing the Russian president is emerging — including among governments — as a possible solution to the current crisis, and said the main thrust of the story was “exactly the opposite” of what Razov said, since it concluded killing Putin would make things even worse.

While previous Italian leaders including Silvio Berlusconi enjoyed warm relations with Putin, current Prime Minister Mario Draghi has taken a more pro-NATO line after taking office in 2021.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×