Dig at Meloni’s Height Could Cost Reporter in Italy 5,000 Euros

A judge in Milan has found an Italian journalist guilty of defaming Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, and ordered her to pay damages of 5,000 euros, or about $5,500, as well as court costs, the defendant’s lawyer said.

In Wednesday’s ruling, the journalist, Giulia Cortese, was also given a suspended fine of 1,200 euros ($1,300) for two posts on Twitter, now known as X, in October 2021, when Ms. Meloni was a lawmaker. In one tweet, she described Ms. Meloni using “not nice words,” Ms. Cortese’s lawyer, David Olivetti, said. In another she took aim at Ms. Meloni’s height, suggesting Ms. Meloni was 1.2 meters, or about 4 feet, tall.

The prosecutor trying Ms. Cortese had called it an example of body shaming. (At a campaign rally in 2022, Ms. Meloni told supporters she was 1.58 meters tall, or 5 feet 2 inches).

Ms. Cortese said Thursday that the past three years had been “quite stressful.” Her social media accounts were targeted by supporters of the prime minister, “who sent me insults and threats.” It was “very unpleasant,” she said, adding, “Above all, it seems absurd to clog up Italian courts, which have to deal with far more serious things, with such nonsense.”

Mr. Olivetti, who defended Ms. Cortese, said he would read the ruling before deciding whether to appeal.

Italy defines defamation as “damage to the reputation of a person through communication with several persons.” It does not distinguish between public figures and ordinary people.