Lirio Abbate
Lirio Abbate | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 26, 1971 Castelbuono, Palermo, Italy |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, editor |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Known for | Investigative journalism on the Sicilian Mafia; editor-in-chief of L'Espresso |
Lirio Abbate (born 26 February 1971) is an Italian journalist who currently serves as the editor-in-chief of the weekly news magazine L'Espresso. Earlier in his career, he worked as a correspondent in Sicily for the news agency ANSA and contributed to the national daily La Stampa.
Early life and career
Hailing from Castelbuono, located in the province of Palermo, Abbate embarked on his journalism journey in 1990 with the Giornale di Sicilia, where he remained until 1997 before joining ANSA. He began writing for La Stampa in 1998. In 2003, he earned the title of Journalist of the Year awarded by Unione Nazionale Cronisti (UNCI). His investigative work primarily targeted the Sicilian Mafia and issues surrounding illegal immigration. Significantly, he was the sole journalist present during the April 2006 capture of Cosa Nostra's elusive leader, Bernardo Provenzano, who had managed to avoid arrest for over four decades.
Mafia threats and later career
In 2007, Abbate co-authored the book I Complici ("The Accomplices"), which unveiled political connections to Provenzano, leading to retaliatory threats from Mafia factions. Intercepted phone calls exposed plans to eliminate him, resulting in police protection being assigned. On 2 September 2007, a car bomb attack was thwarted by his security team shortly after his arrival back in Palermo. During a trial in October 2007, Mafia figure Leoluca Bagarella openly menaced Abbate, increasing the danger despite his use of anonymous bylines.
Refusing to be intimidated, Abbate chose to remain in Palermo as a symbol of resistance, asserting that fleeing would weaken state safeguards and embolden criminal elements. In 2009, he moved to Rome, where he developed investigative documentary films such as L'uomo Nero − Storia di Massimo Carminati for La7 and Barrio Milano, a docuseries examining Latin American gangs operating in Milan for Sky Atlantic.
Abbate received the honor of Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2015. By January 2016, he took on the role of editor-in-chief responsible for "Investigations" and "Current affairs" at L'Espresso. He also spearheaded RegeniLeaks, a secure whistleblower platform dedicated to exposing human rights violations in Egypt, collaborating closely with the Hermes Center for Transparency and Digital Human Rights.
Between 2016 and 2017, Abbate was a member of the International Council on Justice within the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, led by Cardinal Peter K. A. Turkson. He served as deputy director of L'Espresso starting November 2017 and ascended to director on 4 March 2022, succeeding Marco Damilano. On 21 December 2022, Alessandro Mauro Rossi succeeded him as director.
Bibliography
- Nostra mafia dei monti - dal processo alle cosche delle Madonie al caso Contrada, Spoleto: Dharba Editore 1993
- La storia del giro podistico di Castelbuono - La corsa su strada più antica d'Italia, Palermo: Promos Editore, 1994
- La mafia che ho conosciuto, Edizioni Espero 1996
- I complici. Tutti gli uomini di Bernardo Provenzano da Corleone al Parlamento (with Peter Gomez), Rome: Fazi Editore 2007