Death threats against Lieutenant-Colonel Gianfranco Paglia

"Faced with yet another intolerable act of verbal abuse online, which escalated into explicit death threats", Gianfranco Paglia, a lieutenant-colonel, recipient of the Gold Medal for Military Valour and adviser to Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, has decided to lodge “a formal complaint against a social media profile from which insults and a message containing an explicit reference to a firearm were sent”, he wrote in a statement.

The lieutenant-colonel explained that “the incident constitutes extremely serious threats with explicit references to the use of firearms (‘if it were up to me, a 7.62 would suffice. Canemorto’), together with insults of unprecedented vulgarity. These extremely serious threats originate from individuals who neither approved of nor agreed with the recent views expressed by the decorated officer during a number of interviews given to the media concerning MEP Vannacci”.

In "Il Foglio", Gianfranco Paglia had said of the former general: "I regret that some former military personnel, now in politics, are making strong statements claiming that it is wrong to defend oneself, that it is wrong to regard Putin’s threat as such, that it is wrong to use European defence funds – the SAFE instrument – and that there is no danger of Russia attacking. I am sorry; it pains me. How can anyone give in to this propaganda? How can anyone pit military spending against welfare spending? How can anyone fail to understand that security is the umbrella that protects us from all the storms of the world?”. And he continued: "I have respect for everyone. I even have respect for those who shot me in the back: we were at war; in war, ambushes happen – they’re part and parcel of it – and I’ve never regretted sacrificing my legs rather than kill those women and children behind whom the militias were hiding, in Somalia. Respect for everyone, truly. I just find it incredible that those who have worn the uniform can play on patriotism simply to scrape together a few votes. And I find it incredible, if I may be completely honest, that those who have worn the uniform for a long time can allow a dangerous message to be conveyed: that the army thinks like me. That is not the case. It is a lie. I have chosen to break my silence to remind people that those who today speak loudly about their rank speak for themselves and for those who support them, not for those who honour these uniforms every day of their lives."

(you can read the full interview here)

The Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto, has expressed his support for the councillor and his “firm condemnation of the extremely serious death threats directed at Lieutenant-Colonel Gianfranco Paglia, recipient of the Gold Medal for Military Valour. On my own behalf and on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, I extend to Gianfranco my full support and solidarity, both personal and institutional. One may disagree, debate or hold profoundly different views, but what has happened represents the crossing of a line that should never be crossed. A threat is not a form of debate. It is violence. And as such, it must be condemned, always and without ambiguity. I stand with Gianfranco, certain that no cowardly intimidation will ever undermine his commitment and determination.”