French far-right politician Éric Zemmour, the fourth most voted candidate in France’s last presidential election, was sentenced Thursday to pay a fine of 4,000 euros for racist insults against a former columnist for the Canal+ group.
The 64-year-old former presidential candidate and president of Reconquista has also been ordered to pay 3,000 euros in damages, as well as 2,000 euros in lawyers’ fees, as reported by the TF1Info channel.
The French court in which the case has been deliberated has concluded that the comments made by the French ultra-right-winger against the former columnist degenerated into «a strictly personal attack» and of a «discriminatory nature».
The exchange between Zemmour and former columnist Hapsatou Sy occurred during a television program in September 2018 in which the French ultra-right-winger rebuked her by name. «It is your first name that is an insult to France,» he shouted at the also TV presenter.
Sy has affirmed this Thursday on her official Twitter account, through her lawyer, Antoine Vey, that «freedom of expression is not freedom of oppression». He also thanked his legal representative for his «unconditional support».
«It is a source of great pride to have stood firm all these years and to have been able to have Eric Zemmour convicted of racist insults. My name is my identity, my origins are my strength and, behind me, I hope that many other French people will feel liberated,» he added.
This is not the first time Zemmour has been fined, as in 2016 he made comments on television in which he questioned the integration of Muslims in France, equated Islam and terrorism and spoke of Islamic «invasion». His words earned him a fine of €3,000 for inciting discrimination and religious hatred.
In fact, the ultra-right-winger appealed the decision to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which rejected his request, arguing that the French courts had not violated Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which enshrines freedom of expression.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
