A Milan court has ordered a journalist to pay Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni 5,000 euros ($5,000) in damages for mocking her in a social media post, the ANSA news agency and other local media reported.
Journalist Giulia Cortese also received a suspended fine of 1,200 euros for a provocation on the X platform, formerly Twitter, in October 2021, about Meloni’s height, which was defined as “bodyshaming”.
Meloni filed a lawsuit against Cortese after the two women clashed on social media.
Meloni, whose far-right Brothers of Italy party was in opposition at the time, objected when Cortese posted a photo of her with an image of the late fascist leader Benito Mussolini in the background.
Cortese responded with more tweets, including one that translates to “You don’t scare me, Giorgia Meloni. After all, you’re only 4 feet tall. I can’t even see you.”
Meloni’s height is said to be between 1.58 m and 1.63 m, according to several media sites.
Cortese can appeal the ruling, and Meloni’s lawyer said the prime minister would donate any money she eventually received to charity.
A high number of lawsuits filed against journalists was cited this year by Reporters Without Borders, which dropped Italy five places to 46th in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
Meloni is no stranger to taking journalists to court. Last year, a Rome court fined best-selling author Roberto Saviano 1,000 euros ($1,200) plus legal costs after he insulted her on television in 2021 for her hardline stance on illegal immigration.
Journalists at Italy’s state broadcaster RAI went on strike in May in protest against the “suffocating control” over their work by Meloni’s government.
(1 euro = R$ 6)
(By Keith Weir and Gavin Jones)
Source: CNN Brasil
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