Saviano in tears after the boss's conviction: "They stole my life."

A liberating cry and deep emotion in the courtroom for Roberto Saviano after the conviction of Casalesi boss Francesco Bidognetti and his lawyer Michele Santonastaso was upheld. After sixteen years of trial, the Neapolitan writer tearfully commented: "They stole my life." The Rome Court of Appeal upheld the one-and-a-half-year prison sentence for the clan leader and one year and two months for his lawyer, charged with aggravated threats using mafia methods against Saviano and journalist Rosaria Capacchione.

The ruling represents a milestone in the fight against organized crime and the defense of press freedom: "Sixteen years of trial are no victory for anyone, but we have proof that information truly scares the mafia," Saviano stated. The author of "Gomorrah," who has been under police protection for years, tearfully embraced his lawyer Antonio Nobile, amid applause from the courtroom, recalling how the Camorra had targeted those who reported on criminal power, identifying journalists as the true enemies to be targeted.