A judge in Milan has ordered an Italian journalist to pay 5,000 euros (nearly $5,500) in damages to Premier Giorgia Meloni for making fun of her height in social media posts.

The judge ruled on Wednesday that two social media posts by journalist Giulia Cortese, who was also handed a suspended fine of 1,200 euros ($1,300), amounted to "body shaming."

In October 2021, when Meloni was still in opposition, Cortese posted a digitally altered picture on X, showing the far-right politician standing in front of a bookshelf with an image of Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini in the background.

Meloni reacted on Facebook by saying that the fake image was of "unique gravity" and announced that she would take legal action.

In the exchange that followed, Cortese described Meloni as a "little woman." She then wrote in a separate post: "You don't scare me, Giorgia Meloni. After all, you're only 1.2 meters tall. I can't even see you."

Italian media report that Meloni's height is between 5 feet, 2 inches, and 5 feet, 4 inches, though she has never officially disclosed it.

Reacting to the judge's verdict, Cortese wrote on social media late Thursday that Italy's government "has a serious problem with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent." She added that she may consider appealing the verdict.

In a follow-up post on Friday, Cortese wrote: "This government worries about nonsense, it is probably just a clumsy and desperate move to try to hide its general and deep inadequacy."

This government worries about nonsense, it is probably just a clumsy and desperate move to try to hide its general and deep inadequacy. There is no other explanation to this. https://t.co/DiB0qofX94

— Giulia Cortese (@GiuliaCortese1) July 19, 2024

It's not the first time that Meloni has taken legal action against a journalist or someone who had criticized her publicly. Her far-right government has been accused by the center-left opposition of using legal action to put pressure on journalists and critics.

According to Reporters Without Borders, Italy fell five spots to 46th place on its 2024 World Press Freedom Index.

Meloni's lawyer said she would donate the 5,000 euros to charity if the sentence against Cortese is confirmed and the money is paid.

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• Social Media
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• Italy