In a recent court ruling in Milan, journalist Giulia Cortese has been ordered to pay Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni 5,000 euros in damages for defamation after mocking Meloni on social media. The incident, which occurred during a social media exchange in 2021, involved a post that the court deemed as ‘body shaming.’ This ruling adds to the ongoing tensions between the media and Meloni’s administration, which has seen numerous legal actions against journalists.
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- A Milan court ordered journalist Giulia Cortese to pay 5,000 euros in damages to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
- Cortese was also given a suspended fine of 1,200 euros for a social media post deemed ‘body shaming.’
- The social media post was made during a battle between Cortese and Meloni in 2021.
- The post included a doctored image of Meloni with Italy’s WWII dictator Benito Mussolini in the background.
- Cortese’s caption mocked Meloni’s height, stating, “You don’t scare me, Giorgia Meloni. After all, you’re only 1.2 meters tall. I can’t even see you.”
- Meloni is generally described as being between 1.58 and 1.63 meters tall.
- Cortese has the option to appeal against the fine.
- Meloni’s lawyer announced that the fine would be donated to charity.
- The ruling is part of a series of legal actions against journalists during Meloni’s tenure.
- Earlier, author Roberto Saviano was fined 1,000 euros and legal expenses for insulting Meloni on a television show in 2021.
