More than 1,000 Italian journalists gathered in Rome yesterday to protest against a law that curbs police wiretaps and imposes fines on news organisations that publish transcripts. The prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, says the new rules are needed to protect privacy. The Italian National Press Federation has called a strike for 9 July in protest. Opposition parties accuse Berlusconi of trying to cover up corruption with a tailor-made law to shield him from prosecution while in office. The US justice department has expressed concern over the law's effect on investigations of organised crime.

Topics