A Milan court has ordered journalist Giulia Cortese to pay €5,000 ($5,465) in damages to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for mocking her on social media. The court also imposed a suspended fine of €1,200 on Cortese for body shaming Meloni in a Twitter post from October 2021.

Cortese's post included a jibe about Meloni's height, which was deemed offensive and derogatory. In response to the court's decision, Cortese criticized the ruling on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Italy's government has a serious problem with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent."

The legal dispute began after Meloni, then a member of the opposition far-right Brothers of Italy party, objected to a social media post from Cortese that included a mocked-up photo of Meloni with a background image of the late fascist leader Benito Mussolini. Cortese's subsequent tweet, referring to Meloni's height, was perceived as further provocation.

Meloni's height is listed between 1.58 meters and 1.63 meters on various media websites. Cortese has the option to appeal the court's decision. Meloni's lawyer stated that any damages awarded would be donated to charity.

In her English-language post on X, Cortese expressed concern about the current climate for independent journalists in Italy, adding, "Let's hope for better days ahead. We won't give up!"

Reporters Without Borders has highlighted a high number of lawsuits against journalists in Italy this year, which has led to a drop in the country’s ranking to 46th in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index.

Meloni has a history of taking legal action against journalists. Last year, a Rome court fined best-selling author Roberto Saviano €1,000 plus legal expenses for insulting Meloni on television in 2021 over her stance on illegal immigration.