An Italian court in Milan on Thursday ordered a journalist to pay €5,000 ($5,450) in damages to Giorgia Meloni for "body shaming" the prime minister on social media.

The Milan court also gave Giulia Cortese a suspended fine of €1,200 over another post on X, formerly Twitter, about Meloni's height.

"Italy's government has a serious problem with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent," Cortese said in reaction to the sentence.

Social media exchanges ended up in court

Meloni launched legal action against the journalist three years after the two women clashed on social media.

Cortese published a mocked-up photo of Meloni with late fascist dictator Benito Mussolini in the background on X.

In response, Meloni posted on Facebook that the fabricated photo was of "unique gravity" and had instructed her attorney to take legal action against the journalist.

Cortese responded with further tweets, including one that translates as "You don't scare me, Giorgia Meloni. After all, you're only 1.2 meters (4 feet) tall. I can't even see you."

Cortese was acquitted of the tweet comparing Meloni to Mussolini but was convicted of defamation for comments on Meloni's height, which the judge said amounted to "body shaming."

Meloni has taken action against journalists before

Cortese can appeal the sentence.

Meloni's lawyer said she would donate the €5,000 to charity.

It is not the first time that Meloni has brought journalists and writers.

Last year, a Rome court fined best-selling author Roberto Saviano €1,000 plus legal expenses after he insulted Meloni on television in 2021 over her hardline stance on illegal immigration.

lo/sms (Reuters, EFE)