Fausto Biloslavo

Fausto Biloslavo (Trieste, 13 November 1961) is an Italian journalist, author and one of the most experienced Italian war correspondents. He is among the best-known and most prolific modern Italian writers on modern conflicts; he has experienced war first-hand. As a correspondent and free-lance journalist he witnessed conflicts from the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan to the Balkans, and the so-called, "forgotten wars" in Africa. Most recently he reported from Iraq and the Middle East.

Early life

Fausto Biloslavo was born and raised in Trieste where he also attended school. He graduated from Trieste University in Political Sciences / International branch.

Career

In 1982 at the age of 21, Biloslavo was in Lebanon during the civil war, as a freelance writer and photographer, during the Siege of Beirut in the summer of 1982. During the Israeli drive he was the only one to witnessed the then PLO leader Yasser Arafat, fleeing Beirut. Arafat fled to Greece, and then to Tunis, establishing new headquarters there.

In 1983 with two friends, Almerigo Grilz killed in Mozambique in 1987 during an engagement between the South African backed RENAMO and the Mozambicans forces, therefore becoming the first Italian reporter to be killed in action since WW2, and Gian Micalessin, Biloslavo founded the "Albatross Press agency" a freelance Agency. The agency produced TV reports, and first hand war correspondence from the world’s hot spots, selling its works to the main international networks, mainly to CBS and NB in the English speaking countries, but even to the German NDR, and the TSI (Italian Swiss Television channel).

Even in Italy, beside the highly negative prejudice that surrounded the agency for being founded by former members of the right wing party MSI-DN, Albatros gained notoriety selling his stories to Panorama, and to the state owned RAI TV news TG1. During these years Albatross covered news from Iran, Cyprus, Libya, Sudan, Uganda, the Philippines and Afghanistan.

In 1987 he crossed into Afghanistan from Pakistan, and spent four months living with Mujaheddin. On his way back to Pakistan he was stopped by the Afghan Police. He was detained for seven months and sentenced, after a farce trial, to a seven-year-sentence to be spent in the infamous Pul I Charki prison in Kabul. He was released after 202 days of harsh detention, thanks to the personal intervention of the former Italian President, Francesco Cossiga. Even after what he had suffered, Biloslavo did not quit going in Afghanistan, and today he remains one of the major Italian experts of that troubled Asian country. In March 1997 he successfully negotiated the release of Mauro Galliani, an Italian reporter kidnapped in Chechnya.

Personal life

Biloslavo is married to Cinzia and lives in Trieste with his wife and daughter. He is a proud member of the Paratrooper Association or ANPd’I of Trieste. On April 19, 2012 Fausto Biloslavo was awarded the, "Giorgio Lago" prize.

Authorship

Biloslavo has written many books on conflicts he personally witnessed, and currently writes articles for many newspapers in Italy, including Il Foglio, Il Giornale, and magazines like Panorama and The Europeo.

References