Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is seeking €100,000 (£85,374) in damages after deepfake pornographic videos of her were uploaded online. She is due to testify before a court in the Sardinian city of Sassari on 2 July.
A 40-year-old man, believed to have produced the videos, and his 73-year-old father are under investigation. Police tracked them down via the mobile device used to post the videos. Both men are accused of defamation, which under Italian law can be a criminal offence carrying a custodial sentence.
According to the indictment, the videos were posted on a US pornographic website, where they were viewed 'millions of times' over several months. Ms Meloni's legal team has said that, if successful, she will donate the damages to a fund supporting women who have been victims of male violence.
Lawyer Maria Giulia Marongiu described the sum as 'symbolic', adding that the demand for compensation was meant to 'send a message to women who are victims of this kind of abuse of power not to be afraid to press charges'. The deepfake videos date back to before Ms Meloni became prime minister in 2022.
