Italian PM Wins Defamation Case Against Journalist

An Italian court has ruled against journalist Giulia Cortese, ordering her to pay €5,000 in damages and a suspended fine of €1,200 for social media posts mocking Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's height, which the court deemed as 'body shaming'. The conflict began in October 2021 when Cortese posted a doctored image of Meloni with fascist dictator Benito Mussolini in the background, followed by comments disparaging Meloni's height. Meloni responded with a Facebook post condemning the image and announcing legal action, which led to further exchanges where Cortese referred to Meloni as a 'little woman' and claimed she was '1.2 meters tall'. Following the verdict, Cortese criticized the ruling as an attack on freedom of expression and indicated she might appeal. Meloni's lawyer stated that any damages awarded would be donated to charity.