Italy's Meloni blames pro-Russian hackers for foreign minister's data leak

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has blamed pro-Russian hackers for leaking the personal data of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani onto the dark web.

Tajani said on Saturday that cyber-criminals had been publishing his personal data on the dark web for days and were seeking further information, exposing him to threats and intimidation. He said his family had also been targeted.

"For days now, cyber-criminals have been publishing my personal data on the dark web and seeking further information, effectively exposing me to new threats and intimidation," Tajani wrote on X.

He said the leaks were linked to Italy's position on Ukraine. "Our position on Ukraine is the political reason I have been targeted," Tajani said. "Defending the freedom of a sovereign state, taking a clear stand in support of a nation's democracy and independence, is dangerous in the eyes of these criminal entities."

Tajani, who is also deputy prime minister, said the government was taking the threats seriously. He vowed to continue supporting Italian allies. "I will continue working to defend my ministry and Italy, and I will keep strengthening ties and cooperation with our allies so that we can protect ourselves together," the minister said.

In a separate statement on Saturday, Meloni blamed "pro-Russian hackers" for the leaks and offered Tajani her "full solidarity". She said the sale of confidential information about institutional representatives was a cause of serious concern and must be tackled with the utmost determination.

"The sale of confidential information about institutional representatives is a cause of serious concern and must be tackled with the utmost determination," she said in a statement.

Meloni also expressed concern about the circulation of false images which she said were shared by members of Italy's opposition. She did not give details about the content of the images.

Moscow has not publicly responded to the allegations.

The Italian government has provided humanitarian and military support to Ukraine in its war against Russia.

The dark web is a hidden part of the internet that is not indexed by common search engines and can only be accessed with specialist software.

Sources

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