'Nazi' pope pic - site banned

2005-05-04 21:29

Rome - An Italian website that published a photo montage of Pope Benedict XVI dressed in a Nazi uniform was told to suspend its activities on Wednesday for offending the Roman Catholic religion, said court officials.

Rome prosecutors accuse the Indymedia Italia site, which is part of a network of alternative media websites, of causing offence to the Catholic religion by publishing the photo montage alongside the caption "Nazi pope".

Under Italian law, the offence is punishable by up to one year in jail.

The website, which is registered under the name of a Brazilian-based company, was still online on Wednesday evening and showing the controversial image despite the court ruling.

Italy's largest press union, FNSI, slammed the decision as an "unacceptable attack on critical and satirical freedom".

"Indymedia publishes without any form of censorship any kind of electronic message - that is the basis of its editorial policy," said the FNSI's secretary-general, Paolo Serventi Longhi.

"I do not agree with the message's content, in fact I find it very serious, but press freedom cannot be called into question," he added.

- AFP