ROME — A Milan court has ordered a journalist to pay Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni damages of 5,000 euros (S$7,314.50) for making fun of her in a social media post, news agency ANSA and other local media reported.

The journalist, Giulia Cortese, was also given a suspended fine of 1,200 euros for a jibe on Twitter, now named X, in Oct. 2021 about Meloni's height, that was defined as "body shaming".

In a response to a Reuters story on the verdict, Cortese wrote on X on Thursday: "Italy's government has a serious problem with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent."

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

Meloni, whose far-right Brothers of Italy party was in opposition at the time, took exception when Cortese published a mocked-up photo of her with a picture of the late fascist leader Benito Mussolini in the background.

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

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