Éric Zemmour Fined for Holocaust Denial Statement
The far-right politician faces legal repercussions for controversial remarks about Philippe Pétain's role during World War II.
Éric Zemmour, leader of the far-right political party Reconquête!, has been sentenced by the Paris Court of Appeal to pay a fine of €10,000 for contesting crimes against humanity.
This ruling, dated April 2, follows Zemmour's controversial assertion in 2019 that Marshal Philippe Pétain 'saved French Jews' during World War II.
Previously, Zemmour, who is 66 years old, had been acquitted by a Paris court in 2021 and subsequently by the appellate court in 2022. However, following an appeal by five civil society organizations and by the public prosecutor’s office, the Court of Cassation annulled his acquittal and mandated a retrial.
After the recent ruling, Zemmour released a statement asserting that he 'never intended to defend Pétain' and announced plans to appeal to the Court of Cassation.
The court also ordered Zemmour to pay €1 in damages and €1,200 in legal fees to each of the five organizations involved.
The comments in question were made during a broadcast on October 21, 2019, as part of a debate on the program 'Face à l’info' on CNews, where Zemmour was a prominent commentator.
During the debate, philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy challenged Zemmour's assertion, leading to a heated exchange regarding the implications of Pétain’s actions.
In a prior decision dated May 12, 2022, the appellate court recognized that while Zemmour's remarks might be offensive to the families of deported individuals, they did not constitute a direct denial of the extent of deportation victims or diminish the extermination policies conducted in concentration camps.
The court noted that Philippe Pétain, head of the Vichy government, was not convicted of crimes against humanity at his trial post-liberation but rather for 'attentat against the internal security of the state' and 'intelligence with the enemy.'
However, the Court of Cassation determined that Zemmour's statements could indeed constitute a criminal offense, regardless of Pétain's lack of a conviction for crimes against humanity.
The Court contended that by stating 'this is once again the reality,' Zemmour effectively endorsed Lévy's claims, necessitating a more thorough legal examination of those remarks in the earlier ruling.
This ruling, dated April 2, follows Zemmour's controversial assertion in 2019 that Marshal Philippe Pétain 'saved French Jews' during World War II.
Previously, Zemmour, who is 66 years old, had been acquitted by a Paris court in 2021 and subsequently by the appellate court in 2022. However, following an appeal by five civil society organizations and by the public prosecutor’s office, the Court of Cassation annulled his acquittal and mandated a retrial.
After the recent ruling, Zemmour released a statement asserting that he 'never intended to defend Pétain' and announced plans to appeal to the Court of Cassation.
The court also ordered Zemmour to pay €1 in damages and €1,200 in legal fees to each of the five organizations involved.
The comments in question were made during a broadcast on October 21, 2019, as part of a debate on the program 'Face à l’info' on CNews, where Zemmour was a prominent commentator.
During the debate, philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy challenged Zemmour's assertion, leading to a heated exchange regarding the implications of Pétain’s actions.
In a prior decision dated May 12, 2022, the appellate court recognized that while Zemmour's remarks might be offensive to the families of deported individuals, they did not constitute a direct denial of the extent of deportation victims or diminish the extermination policies conducted in concentration camps.
The court noted that Philippe Pétain, head of the Vichy government, was not convicted of crimes against humanity at his trial post-liberation but rather for 'attentat against the internal security of the state' and 'intelligence with the enemy.'
However, the Court of Cassation determined that Zemmour's statements could indeed constitute a criminal offense, regardless of Pétain's lack of a conviction for crimes against humanity.
The Court contended that by stating 'this is once again the reality,' Zemmour effectively endorsed Lévy's claims, necessitating a more thorough legal examination of those remarks in the earlier ruling.
