Actress Pia Zammit files defamation suit over Nazi sympathiser report

Maltese actress Pia Zammit has filed a libel suit against the editor of General Workers’ Union newspaper it-Torca, over a report published in the newspaper last Sunday.

The report used a photo of Zammit in a 2009 stage performance of the comedy ‘Allo ‘Allo to suggest she had made light of the Nazi swastika, and the published comments by an anonymous ‘educator’ claiming Zammit’s image had been offensive to victims of Nazism.

The actress, an activist of Occupy Justice, was written in a manner that suggested she was a Nazi sympathizer.

Zammit told MaltaToday that she was also filing a suit against Sergio Galea Vincenti after he called her a ‘Nazzista’ on his Facebook page.

Zammit had taken to social media, criticising the newspaper for using the photo four times on separate occasions which she said was only done for the purpose of allowing it to be shared on social media platforms.

“Normally I’d shrug it off – the bullying of anyone who DARES say that they are no happy with ANYTHING on this island is legendary and incessant (look at the victimising of the wonderful Sasha Vella). But this time I’m NOT shrugging it off. Enough is e-freakin’-nuff!" she wrote.

Zammit said that the bullying of private individuals was hindering people from speaking freely, as well as stopping people from asking for their rights to be respected.

“This is censorship...this is what stomping on our freedom of speech also looks like – it doesn’t always include physical violence (although there is an argument to be made that it’s setting people up to be physically harmed. We all hate Nazis right (I certainly do) – we’d all like to give ‘em a good old kick in the nuts at the very least right? ‘Naming’ someone as a Nazi is setting them up to be physically assaulted).”