Italian police opened an investigation into death threats against Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio in chats on social media. “Putin is sending someone to kill you”, “Di Maio, they will kill you”, according to media reports on some Telegram channels. Several images of coffins and axes with threatening comments were also released. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Di Maio has clearly condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine.
“Send him to the Gulag” was also read in the messages. Death threats against the 35-year-old leader of the Five Star Movement sparked a wave of outrage in Italy. Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese also expressed their solidarity with Di Maio and condemned the “heinous threats”. “The government fully supports Di Maio’s commitment to the defense of Ukraine and peace,” commented Draghi.
Di Maio was unimpressed by the death threats. “We remain committed to a ceasefire. We are doing our best to restore peace and stability in Ukraine and Europe. Threats will not stop us from condemning Putin’s war,” the foreign minister said on Twitter, referring to to the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war. .