A Milan court has ordered a journalist to pay 5,000 euros ($5,465) in damages for mocking Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a social media post, news agency ANSA and other local media reported.
Journalist Giulia Cortese was also given a suspended fine of 1,200 euros in October 2021 for a jibe on Twitter about Meloni’s height, now renamed X, which was defined as “body shaming”.
The Italian government has serious problems with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent. The country seems to be moving closer to Orbán’s Hungary: these are bad times for independent journalists and opinion leaders. Let us hope for better days to come. We will not give up!@Reuters
– Giulia Cortese (@giuliacortes1) July 18, 2024
In response to a Reuters story on the decision, Cortese wrote on X on Thursday: “The Italian government has a serious problem with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent.”
Meloni launched legal action against the journalist three years ago after the two women clashed on social media.
Meloni, whose right-wing Brothers of Italy party was in opposition at the time, objected when Cortes published a doctored photograph of him with a picture of the late Fascist leader Benito Mussolini in the background.
Cortes also sent out further tweets, one of which translated to: “You don’t scare me, Georgia Meloni. After all, you’re only 1.2 metres (4 feet) tall. I can’t even see you.”
Meloni’s height has been reported to be between 1.58 m and 1.63 m on various media websites.
Cortez may appeal the sentence, and Meloni’s lawyer said the prime minister would ultimately donate any compensation she receives to charity.
Writing on X in English on Thursday, Cortese said it was a tough time for independent journalists in Italy.
He said, “Let us hope that better days lie ahead. We will not give up!”
A rise in the number of lawsuits filed against journalists this year was cited by Reporters Without Borders as a reason why Italy dropped five places to 46th on 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 and legal costs after he insulted him on television in 2021 over his tough stance on illegal immigration.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
