Demonstrators protesting with mouth gags during a rally against the Bill curbing the use of wiretaps, labelled by critics as "gag law" in Rome, yesterday. The law, presented by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government, will be debated in Parliament and will prevent the media from reporting on official investigations until a preliminary hearing. It carries a potential penalty of up to €450,000 for publishers and 30 days in jail or up to €10,000 for journalists who publish leaked material obtained through wiretaps before the beginning of a trial. The National Federation of the Press (FNSI), all of Italy's main newspapers and TV have opposed the law.

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