A Milan court has ordered journalist Giulia Cortese to pay Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni 5,000 euros (about $5,400) in damages for mocking her height in a social media post.
The incident, which occurred in October 2021, was described by the court as “corporal humiliation.” In addition to damages, Cortese received a suspended fine of 1,200 euros ($1,300) for his Twitter mockery, now called X.
Cortese responded to the X verdict by writing: “The Italian government has a serious problem with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent.” The legal battle between Meloni and Cortese began three years ago when the two women clashed on social media.
At the time, Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy party was in opposition. Meloni took legal action after Cortese published a fake photo of her with an image of the late fascist leader Benito Mussolini in the background.
Cortese escalated the situation with more tweets, including one in which he said: “I'm not scared of you, Giorgia Meloni. After all, you're only 4 feet tall. I can't even see you.”
According to media reports, Meloni's height is between 1.58 and 1.63 metres. Cortese has the option to appeal the ruling and Meloni's lawyer indicated that any compensation awarded to him will be donated to a charity.
Writing in English on X, Cortese commented on the challenging environment faced by independent journalists in Italy, saying: “Let's hope for better days ahead.
“We will not give up!” The high number of prosecutions against journalists in Italy was highlighted by Reporters Without Borders, which ranked the country 46th in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, down five places.
Meloni is known for taking legal action against journalists. Last year, a Rome court fined best-selling author Roberto Saviano 1,000 euros ($1,088) plus legal fees after he insulted her on television in 2021 for her hardline stance on illegal immigration.
