An Italian town is pursuing legal action against the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo over a cartoon portraying victims of last month’s earthquake as types of pasta, and another suggesting the mafia was to blame for the death toll of almost 300. The local government called the cartoons “a macabre, senseless and absurd insult to the victims”, said Mario Cicchetti, a lawyer for Amatrice city hall. It has asked a local prosecutor to investigate Charlie Hebdo for “aggravated defamation”, a crime for which the town would seek civil damages. Although the cartoons were published in France, Cicchetti said the legal case could be brought in Italy because they had been widely seen and shared there. Charlie Hebdo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Source: The Guardian September 12, 2016 13:49 UTC