Italian Journalist Roberto Saviano Pulls Out of Flip for Security Reasons

06/30/2015 - 09h16

The Italian journalist Roberto Saviano has pulled out of the International Literary Festival of Paraty (Flip, in its Portuguese acronym), just two days before the festival is due to open.

Sentenced to death by the Italian mafia for his book Gomorra, a detailed portrait of the world of organized crime which became an international bestseller, Saviano was the main attraction at Flip this year. He was due to talk on Saturday (4).

"The Italian writer Roberto Saviano, a guest at Flip 2015, has informed the organizers through his publisher that his security team have forbidden him to leave Europe, for his own safety," said the festival's press advisor. "Flip would like to express its solidarity with the author, and hopes that he recovers his freedom as soon as possible."

Flip will publish details of Saviano's replacement in the next few days.

Since the publication of "Gomorra" in 2006, to 2012, when he was last interviewed by Folha, Saviano lived in secret locations under permanent armed guard. His security team included 14 police officers, with two bulletproof cars alternating 24 hours a day.

In the last few years, the situation has eased somewhat. In 2013, Saviano toured to promote the book "ZeroZeroZero" in Italy, while in April this year he attended a literary event in France. In March, the Italian police arrested some of the main members of the mafia group which had planned to assassinate him.

Translated by TOM GATEHOUSE

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	Alberto Estévez - 4.fev.2009/Efe
	Roberto Saviano has pulled out of the International Literary Festival of Paraty (Flip), just two days before the festival is due to open