By . Hannah Roberts and Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 14:46 EST, 1 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:58 EST, 2 August 2013 . Disgraced Silvio Berlusconi has launched a furious attack against the Italian justice system after a  supreme court ruling upheld a tax fraud conviction against the billionaire. The decision yesterday has left the fate of Italy's fragile ruling coalition in the balance - although Berlusconi's supporters said the government would not be brought down. The 76-year-old reacted angrily to the decision by the supreme court to reject a final appeal against his conviction, protesting his innocence and accusing magistrates of persecuting him since his entry into politics 20 years ago. Scroll down for video . Disgraced: Silvio Berlusconi launched a furious attack against the Italian justice system after a supreme court ruling which upheld a tax fraud conviction against the billionaire . Furious: The 76-year-old protested his innocence and accused magistrates of persecuting him since his entry into politics 20 years ago . The ruling, confirming a sentence for tax fraud involving inflated invoices at his Mediaset broadcasting empire, was the first definitive sentence he had received after dozens of previous trials on charges ranging from tax to sex offences. In a video message broadcast on Italian television after the verdict last night, he said: 'No one can understand the real violence which has been directed against me. 'A genuine campaign of aggression that has no equal.' Just three months after centre-left Prime Minister Enrico Letta took . office at the head of an uneasy coalition with Berlusconi's People of . Freedom party (PDL), Italy, the euro zone's third largest economy, is . again mired in uncertainty. Berlusconi is unlikely to have to serve any time in jail because of his age. The supreme court ordered part of the original sentence - imposing a ban on holding political office - to be reviewed. But the ruling has dealt an unprecedented blow to the man who has dominated Italian politics for two decades. Lost appeal: Italy's highest court handed billionaire media magnate Silvio Berlusconi (file picture) a jail term for using offshore companies to dodge Italian taxes in the acquisition of Hollywood films for his TV networks . 'Justice': People celebrate in Rome after the Supreme Court upheld Berlusconi's conviction for tax fraud . Opinions heard: A man displays a poster depicting Berlusconi as he demonstrates in front of Italy's supreme court building in Rome . Berlusconi said he would continue his . political activities under the 'Forza Italia' (Go Italy!) name of his . first party and press for a reform of the justice system, but he made no . direct reference to the future of the coalition with Letta. Senior . allies also reacted with bitterness, but also said the ruling would not . bring down the coalition between Letta's centre-left Democratic Party . and Berlusconi's People of Freedom. 'This . sentence will not affect the Letta government, which was created to . serve the country and which will continue to serve it as far as we are . concerned,' former Justice Minister Nitto Palma said after a meeting in . Berlusconi's Rome residence. Berlusconi has faced 20 years of . legal skirmishes and at least two dozen trials since entering politics . in 1994, but all previous convictions have been thrown out, overturned . on appeal or timed out. But yesterday, Italy’s highest court . handed the billionaire media magnate a four-year jail sentence for using . offshore companies to dodge Italian taxes in the acquisition of . Hollywood films for his TV networks. However, under an amnesty law, this . has been reduced to one year – a punishment he will most likely serve . under house arrest or through community service. Meanwhile, judges refused to uphold a five-year ban from public office, instead sending it back for judicial review. Waving: Francesca Pascale, the girlfriend of Berlusconi, at the window of Grazioli Palace, Berlusconi's residence in Rome, as they waited for the verdict of the court in Rome . Announcement: President of Italy's highest court Antonio Esposito, third from left, reads the sentence confirming a four-year term for Berlusconi for tax fraud in Rome today . Hearing: People gather outside Italy's highest court building where Berlusconi's case on tax fraud was decided . This means that for now Berlusconi, . who has no official role in government, can continue leading his . centre-right People of Freedom (PDL) party and sitting as a senator in . Parliament. 'Honour and solidarity with Silvio Berlusconi, who is certainly more innocent and clean than those who unjustly condemned him' Luca D’Alessandro, MP in Silvio Berlusconi’s party . He is expected to be placed under . house arrest from October, which will prevent him from attending. Even . with this restriction he will remain an MP, pending the review of his . ban. Berlusconi, who has always claimed he . is the victim of a left-wing conspiracy among the judiciary, was not in . court but awaited the news at home. Members of the PDL, which is in an . uneasy coalition with the centre-left Democratic Party, have threatened . to bring down the government in retaliation for a conviction. Luca D’Alessandro, an MP in . Berlusconi’s party, said: ‘Honour and solidarity with Silvio Berlusconi, . who is certainly more innocent and clean than those who unjustly . condemned him’.
Silvio Berlusconi reacted angrily to the decision by the supreme court .
Billionaire accused magistrates of persecuting him for 20 years .
Italy's highest court has handed 76-year-old four-year jail sentence .
Dodged Italian taxes in acquisition of Hollywood films for TV networks .
His sentence will served through community service or house arrest .
Berlusconi's term has been reduced to one year under amnesty law .
By . Hannah Roberts and Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 14:46 EST, 1 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:58 EST, 2 August 2013 . Disgraced Silvio Berlusconi has launched a furious attack against the Italian justice system after a  supreme court ruling upheld a tax fraud conviction against the billionaire. The decision yesterday has left the fate of Italy's fragile ruling coalition in the balance - although Berlusconi's supporters said the government would not be brought down. The 76-year-old reacted angrily to the decision by the supreme court to reject a final appeal against his conviction, protesting his innocence and accusing magistrates of persecuting him since his entry into politics 20 years ago. Scroll down for video . Disgraced: Silvio Berlusconi launched a furious attack against the Italian justice system after a supreme court ruling which upheld a tax fraud conviction against the billionaire . Furious: The 76-year-old protested his innocence and accused magistrates of persecuting him since his entry into politics 20 years ago . The ruling, confirming a sentence for tax fraud involving inflated invoices at his Mediaset broadcasting empire, was the first definitive sentence he had received after dozens of previous trials on charges ranging from tax to sex offences. In a video message broadcast on Italian television after the verdict last night, he said: 'No one can understand the real violence which has been directed against me. 'A genuine campaign of aggression that has no equal.' Just three months after centre-left Prime Minister Enrico Letta took . office at the head of an uneasy coalition with Berlusconi's People of . Freedom party (PDL), Italy, the euro zone's third largest economy, is . again mired in uncertainty. Berlusconi is unlikely to have to serve any time in jail because of his age. The supreme court ordered part of the original sentence - imposing a ban on holding political office - to be reviewed. But the ruling has dealt an unprecedented blow to the man who has dominated Italian politics for two decades. Lost appeal: Italy's highest court handed billionaire media magnate Silvio Berlusconi (file picture) a jail term for using offshore companies to dodge Italian taxes in the acquisition of Hollywood films for his TV networks . 'Justice': People celebrate in Rome after the Supreme Court upheld Berlusconi's conviction for tax fraud . Opinions heard: A man displays a poster depicting Berlusconi as he demonstrates in front of Italy's supreme court building in Rome . Berlusconi said he would continue his . political activities under the 'Forza Italia' (Go Italy!) name of his . first party and press for a reform of the justice system, but he made no . direct reference to the future of the coalition with Letta. Senior . allies also reacted with bitterness, but also said the ruling would not . bring down the coalition between Letta's centre-left Democratic Party . and Berlusconi's People of Freedom. 'This . sentence will not affect the Letta government, which was created to . serve the country and which will continue to serve it as far as we are . concerned,' former Justice Minister Nitto Palma said after a meeting in . Berlusconi's Rome residence. Berlusconi has faced 20 years of . legal skirmishes and at least two dozen trials since entering politics . in 1994, but all previous convictions have been thrown out, overturned . on appeal or timed out. But yesterday, Italy’s highest court . handed the billionaire media magnate a four-year jail sentence for using . offshore companies to dodge Italian taxes in the acquisition of . Hollywood films for his TV networks. However, under an amnesty law, this . has been reduced to one year – a punishment he will most likely serve . under house arrest or through community service. Meanwhile, judges refused to uphold a five-year ban from public office, instead sending it back for judicial review. Waving: Francesca Pascale, the girlfriend of Berlusconi, at the window of Grazioli Palace, Berlusconi's residence in Rome, as they waited for the verdict of the court in Rome . Announcement: President of Italy's highest court Antonio Esposito, third from left, reads the sentence confirming a four-year term for Berlusconi for tax fraud in Rome today . Hearing: People gather outside Italy's highest court building where Berlusconi's case on tax fraud was decided . This means that for now Berlusconi, . who has no official role in government, can continue leading his . centre-right People of Freedom (PDL) party and sitting as a senator in . Parliament. 'Honour and solidarity with Silvio Berlusconi, who is certainly more innocent and clean than those who unjustly condemned him' Luca D’Alessandro, MP in Silvio Berlusconi’s party . He is expected to be placed under . house arrest from October, which will prevent him from attending. Even . with this restriction he will remain an MP, pending the review of his . ban. Berlusconi, who has always claimed he . is the victim of a left-wing conspiracy among the judiciary, was not in . court but awaited the news at home. Members of the PDL, which is in an . uneasy coalition with the centre-left Democratic Party, have threatened . to bring down the government in retaliation for a conviction. Luca D’Alessandro, an MP in . Berlusconi’s party, said: ‘Honour and solidarity with Silvio Berlusconi, . who is certainly more innocent and clean than those who unjustly . condemned him’.
76-year-old reacted angrily to the decision by and accused magistrates of persecuting him since Italy's highest court handed billionaire media Italian taxes in the acquisition of Hollywood residence. Berlusconi has faced 20 years of . billionaire media magnate a four-year jail films for his TV networks. However, under an amnesty law, this . has been reduced to one year house arrest or through community service.