Italian Government: Shut The Fuck Up And Don't Criticize Us Or The Pope!

If you thought state-sponsored oppression of free speech was the domain of such countries as China, Turkey or Egypt, think again. An Italian comedienne who said that Pope Benedict XVI would go to Hell and be tormented by homosexual demons is now acing a prison term of up to five years.

Addressing a Rome rally in July, Sabrina Guzzanti warmed up with a few gags about Silvio Berlusconi, before moving on to religion. After warning everyone that within 20 years Italian teachers would be vetted and chosen by the Vatican, she got to the punchline: "But then, within 20 years the Pope will be where he ought to be — in Hell, tormented by great big poofter devils, and very active ones, not passive ones."

Italian prosecutors were not amused. As a result, Guzzanti is facing prosecution for "offending the honor of the sacred and inviolable person" of Benedict XVI. Giovanni Ferrara, the Rome prosecutor, is invoking the 1929 Lateran Treaty between Italy and the Vatican, which stipulates that an insult to the Pope carries the same penalty as an insult to the Italian President.

The July rally was called to protest against interference by the Vatican and the Catholic Church in Italian affairs (from abortion to gay rights) but also to attack the Prime Minister for passing "ad personam" laws to protect his own interests and avoid prosecution on corruption allegations.

Berlusconi, who owns Italy's three main commercial television channels and as Prime Minister also wields influence over RAI, the state broadcaster, has been accused of using his media power to muzzle critics and satirists.

Three years ago Guzzanti released a widely praised film, "Viva Zapatero!", about the suppression in 2003 of her late night show in which she had satirized the Italian Prime Minister. The move to prosecute her over her anti-papal remarks was praised by some on the centre Right, including Luca Volonte, a Christian Democrat, who said that "gratuitous insults must be punished".

However, many people were strongly critical. Paolo Guzzanti, Ms. Guzzanti's father and a centre Right MP, said the move was "a return to the Middle Ages”. Antonio Di Pietro, a senator and former anti-corruption magistrate, who organized the rally, said that Guzzanti had only "exercised her constitutional right to freedom of thought. Dario Fo, the Nobel prize-winning playwright, said that applying the treaty more widely would even have led to the prosecution of Dante, since "he put a Pope in the Inferno as well, namely Boniface VIII".

Even certain sections of the Church are unimpressed. Father Bartolomeo Sorge, a Jesuit scholar, told reporters the move to prosecute Guzzanzi was incomprehensible.