Far-Right French Pundit Zemmour on Trial for Hate Speech Against Migrant Minors

17 November 2021 – byGinette · 1 min read

"Complicity in incitement to racial hatred and racial insult". These are the charges against Eric Zemmour for having made insulting remarks about unaccompanied minors in September 2020 on CNews. "They have no business being here, they are thieves, they are murderers, they are rapists, that’s all they are, they have to be sent back and they shouldn’t even come," the commentator had declared on the channel’s set.

These remarks had shocked and angered several associations as well as about twenty departmental councils, which are responsible for the care of unaccompanied minors through child welfare. Thus, SOS Racisme, the Ligue des droits de l’Homme or the Maison des Potes, accompanied by several departments (including Aude, Hérault and Lozère) have joined as civil parties to file a complaint against Éric Zemmour, for his hateful remarks made on CNEWS, reports Le Midi Libre.

Already convicted twice for incitement to hatred, Éric Zemmour should not be present at the hearing, according to his lawyer "for the serenity of the debates" and to avoid turning the Paris criminal court into a "political arena".

This time, the probable future French presidential candidate is not the only one being prosecuted in this case. In the dock, there will also be Maxime Saada, the boss of Canal+, tried as the broadcaster of the hateful remarks.

For Patrick Klugman, lawyer for SOS Racisme, the remarks made on the air are "absolutely intolerable" and suggest that "every unaccompanied minor is a potential delinquent who comes to France to commit atrocities".

Category: France

Keywords:

France Trial Complaint