Eric ZemoThe far-right television expert who is preparing to run for the president of France claims that Islam and immigration are destroying France. He has been tried in Paris for inciting racial hatred.
The case is related to what the 63-year-old debater made on television last year, when he referred to unaccompanied child immigrants as “thief, killer and rapist.”
Zemmour-has two previous convictions for hate speech, but has risen in opinion polls, and is seen as a potential challenger to Emmanuel Macron in the spring elections-is being accused of “public insults” and “incitement to hatred or violence” against a group of people On trial. People are born because of their nationality, ethnicity, race, or religion.
He commented on the French news broadcaster in a debate in September 2020 News CenterHe talked about children who immigrated to France without a parent or guardian: “They are thieves, they are murderers, they are rapists, nothing more. We must send them back.”
If found guilty, he will face up to one year in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros.
Zemore did not appear in court on Wednesday. His lawyer, Olivier Pardo, said the allegations were baseless and Zemur’s opponents were trying to provoke a “trial of public opinion.”
“He is wanted for’racial hatred’, but as far as I know, the unaccompanied minor is neither a race, nor a country, nor a race,” Pardo told RMC Radio. He said Zemur would not attend the trial because he did not want the court to become a “political arena.”
Several anti-racism and rights organizations, including SOS Racisme, filed complaints against Zemmour. Many local councils have joined them as civil plaintiffs, responsible for handling child welfare and caring for unaccompanied minors.
The Seine-Saint-Denis Provincial Committee in the north of Paris stated: “We will not let these comments be taken lightly.” The committee complained against “foreign non-accompanied minors who came to seek protection”. France, And everyone who works hard to help them.”
Germinal Peiro, the head of the Socialist Department of Dordogne, told Radio France International: “We are responsible for these children, and we are here to defend their interests… This person has made xenophobic and racist remarks. This is unacceptable in French democracy.”
Zemmour was previously convicted of inciting racial hatred after defending discrimination against blacks and Arabs in 2010, and in 2016 for inciting religious hatred for publishing anti-Islamic remarks. He has been tried in several other cases and was acquitted.
A sort of Paris In February, the court ruled that Zemur was not guilty of crimes against humanity (which is illegal in France) because he argued in a 2019 televised debate that Philippe Petain, the head of Vichy’s cooperating government during World War II, Pétain) saved the Jews in France from the Holocaust.
In its judgment, the court stated that Zemur’s comments denied Petain’s role in the extinction. But when Zemmour was found not guilty, the court said that he had spoken with excitement at the time.
However, Zemo has repeated similar comments in recent weeks, with lawyers questioning his acquittal plan, citing this as evidence in their appeal in January.
The verdict in Wednesday’s case is expected to be delivered at a later date.
