A court in Italy has imposed a heavy fine on a female journalist for mocking the country's Prime Minister. A Milan court has ordered a journalist to pay 5,000 euros (Rs 4,55,569) in compensation for mocking Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on social media.

This dispute started 3 years ago

Apart from this, a suspended fine of 1200 euros (Rs 109336) has also been imposed on journalist Giulia Cortese for a tweet made in October 2021 regarding Maloney's height. The tweet was defined as 'body shaming'.

“The Italian government has a serious problem with freedom of expression and dissent in journalism,” Cortes wrote in a Thursday letter to the court's ruling, which comes three years after Maloney took legal action against the journalist after a spat between the two on social media.

Make fun of the height

At the time, the Italian party Maloney Brothers was in opposition. Maloney objected when Cortese posted a fake photo of him with fascist leader Benito Mussolini in the background. In another tweet, Cortese wrote, “Georgia Maloney don't scare me. You're only 4 feet tall. I can't even see you.”

Cortez can appeal the sentence. Maloney's lawyer said the prime minister would donate the fine to charity. “These are difficult times for independent journalists in Italy. We hope for better days. We will not give up,” Cortez wrote on Thursday.

Earlier also journalists had to pay fine

Earlier last year, a Rome court fined writer Roberto Saviano 1,000 euros and legal costs for insulting Maloney on TV in 2021 because of his tough stance on illegal immigration.