Of all the disgusting prosecutions, this one, against the great Oriana Fallaci, probably the finest journalist alive, is the most despicable. No one can compare to Oriana, no one has written with more powerful, penetrating insight and determination than she has. You don’t even need to agree with her to appreciate her. I tend to defend Islam, but she is far harsher. Doesn’t matter. No one writes more compellingly than Oriana, a true journalist’s journalist.

Which is why the Italian prosecution’s charges against her are so shameful. My own feeling about how nations want to tailor free speech is that it’s their own business (but thank goodness in the states our freedom as writers is nearly absolute). Now, as I see this selective prosecution, no doubt politically motivated, versus the kind of people they could be prosecuting instead, I am starting to have second thoughts. All speech needs to be free. This prosecution against a great journalist is a vile assault on everyone’s civil liberties. I hope Italians and everyone else who cherishes freedom of expression comes to her defense.

Footballs has the item here and Instapundit has some excellent commentary about this case here.