Italian journalist fined for ridiculing PM Giorgia Meloni's height: 'You're only 4 feet, can't even…'
Milan court fines journalist 5,000 euros for derogatory comments about PM Meloni
An Italian journalist has been fined for making derogatory comments about Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's height. Reuters reports that a Milan court has mandated Giulia Cortese to pay 5,000 euros in damages for her mocking of the politician on social media. Additionally, Cortese was issued a suspended fine of 1,200 euros for engaging in "body shaming," particularly for her comments about Meloni's height on Twitter, which were posted in October 2021.
Journalist penalised for mocking Giorgia Meloni's height
Three years ago, prior to the ascent of Giorgia Meloni's far-right coalition government, she initiated legal proceedings against Giulia Cortese. At that time, Meloni was at the helm of the opposition, commanding the support of her Brothers of Italy party. Apparently, Cortese had shared a photograph that Meloni alleged to be a forgery. The image featured her alongside a picture of Benito Mussolini, a former fascist leader, in the background.
The Italian PM took the matter to Facebook, labelling the manipulated photo as of "unique gravity," and stated that she had instructed her legal counsel to pursue a lawsuit against Cortese.
Also read: Joe Biden reportedly considering dropping out of the presidential race on one condition
In response, Giulia Cortese at the time said, “The media pillory you created on your Facebook page qualifies you for what you are: a little woman.” In yet another tweet she shared, “You don’t scare me, Giorgia Meloni. After all, you’re only 1.2 metres (4 ft) tall. I can’t even see you.”
Giulia Cortese reacts to the fine verdict
In response to the Reuters coverage of the final verdict, Cortese took to her social media to share yet another striking tweet. On Thursday she wrote, “Italy's government has a serious problem with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent.”
In the meantime, the legal representatives of Meloni have declared that the total amount of the imposed fine will be allocated to charitable causes. It has been reported that Cortese possesses the right to contest the decision. Although she was acquitted of the charge related to the tweet that compared Meloni with Mussolini, she was found liable for defamation concerning other statements, which the Milan court considered “body shaming.”
Also read: Donald Trump is a ‘changed man’ after being shot; displayed emotional shift at convention
On X (formerly Twitter), Cortese expressed outrage, calling her conviction over a "joke phrase" scandalous. “Going ahead with it risks costing me a lot, and I don’t know how it would end,” she said after reports that she could appeal.
Meloni has sued reporters before. A while back, a judge in Rome slapped a famous writer, Roberto Saviano, with a 1,000 euro fine and legal fees. It all went down after he called her a name on TV in 2021, bashing her for being so hard on people who break immigration laws.