Eric Zemmour was sentenced for the third time, Monday, January 17, for “incitement to hatred and violence” and “public insults towards a group of people because of their origin” following his comments on unaccompanied minors, whom he had treated on November 29, 2020 on CNews of “thieves”, “rapists” and « assassins ». The Paris court sentenced him to one hundred day-fines of 100 euros, i.e. 10,000 euros, and, jointly with the director of publication of the continuous news channel, to pay 19,000 euros to associations for the defense of human rights. of man.
The far-right polemicist immediately announced that he was appealing. He denounced in a press release “an ideological and stupid condemnation”, “the condemnation of a free spirit by a judicial system overrun with ideologues. Nothing but very sadly usual. »
During a conversation in “Face à l’info”, on CNews, with Christine Kelly on foreign minors, the columnist had declared: “You, you think of these children who are suffering, I think of the women who are raped by these people, of the women who are murdered by these people, of the French people who are too brutalized and traumatized by these people- the. » The presenter had objected to him, “with shyness and great restraint”, noted the court, that “Not all unaccompanied minors are necessarily rapists”. He replied: “As long as there is one… they must not be let in, because that means a thief, a thief, an assassin who persecutes the French. »
“Abuse interpretation”
The Paris prosecutor had immediately been seized by several associations and the Superior Audiovisual Council (CSA) had received more than 900 complaints – and finally condemned the channel to 200,000 euros. Thirteen associations and sixteen county councils – unaccompanied minors are cared for by social assistance for children, managed by the counties – had instituted civil proceedings.
Questioned on January 14, 2021 by the police, Eric Zemmour had contented himself with a short statement and had refused to answer the questions: “I am before you under the Pleven law of 1972 [qui réprime l’incitation à la haine raciale et qu’il entend abolir] » ; “unaccompanied minors are neither a nationality, nor a race, nor a religion”, and “an abusive interpretation of my remarks led to the belief that I was declaring that all unaccompanied minors were delinquents, rapists and thieves, while I was explaining that if many were, all should be repatriated to their country of origin “.
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