French comedian Brahim Bouhlel was sentenced on Wednesday by the Moroccan courts to eight months in prison.
He was implicated for having published on social networks in early April a video in which he insults children.
Brahim Bouhlel is not the only one implicated in this affair.
A Franco-Moroccan influencer, nicknamed "Zbarbooking" also present in this video, was sentenced to a one-year prison sentence, said defense lawyer Me Marouane Rghioui.
The latter added that he would appeal this Thursday.
The two men were prosecuted for "broadcasting a video of a person without their consent" and "hijacking a minor".
They faced sentences of up to five years in prison.
What happened ?
The facts date back to early April.
Installed on the terrace of a restaurant in Marrakech (Morocco), Brahim Bouhlel is in the company of the French actor Hedi Bouchenafa and the influencer "Zbarbooking".
He films his friends by dubbing them in voice-over and utters insult after insult towards children and women: "I have no *** yet fifteen girls", "hello bunch of son of p ****" or " your mother is a big *** ”.
The two little boys and the little girl, presented in the video as "Zbarbooking" children, do not seem to understand what is going on or what Brahim Bouhlel is saying.
VIDEO.
Indignation in Morocco after the broadcast of a video of actor Brahim Bouhlel
The video quickly goes viral and causes people to react.
The Moorish Movement - considered a nationalist movement - immediately took to Twitter to say that it "expects [a] exemplary response from the authorities."
The president of the Club of lawyers in Morocco, Me Mourad Elajouti, explained in our columns shortly after the broadcast this video to have "very shocked by the remarks made against children especially, who were humiliated by abominable remarks, hateful and offensive ”.
Franco-Algerian actor Bouhlel Brahim (@brvhym - voiceover), actor Hedi Bouchenafa and snapchatter Zbarbooking humiliate children, utter degrading words and convey salacious clichés in Morocco.
We are expecting an exemplary response from the authorities.
pic.twitter.com/wLCoXsBvnP
- Moorish Movement ۞ (@MoorishMovement) April 3, 2021
Placed in police custody on April 6, Brahim Bouhlel and "Zbarbooking" were in pre-trial detention until their trial.
After two weeks in cell, the actor and the influencer were therefore sentenced to a prison sentence.
As for the third protagonist, Hedi Bouchenafa, he returned to France before Moroccan justice opened an investigation but would be subject to an international arrest warrant.
Who are the protagonists involved?
Brahim Bouhlel is a French humorist and actor from Seine-et-Marne.
He started his career by doing stand-up.
It was thanks to his humorous videos posted on the Internet that he was spotted by actor Franck Gastambide.
The latter invites him to pass the casting of his next series "Validated".
After several attempts, he landed a role alongside rapper Hatik or actress Sabrina Ouazani.
Aired on Canal + in March 2020, the series is a great success.
Hedi Bouchenafa is also a French actor.
He began his career in "Un prophète" by Jacques Audiard and has produced several web series.
After a role in the Netflix series “Marseille” between 2016 and 2018, this year he found the American giant with the film adaptation of his web series “En passant pécho”.
The Franco-Moroccan "Zbarbooking" is known as an influencer.
On his Instagram account, he appears surrounded by friends, aboard a jet ski, or in the company of the Marseille rapper, Jul, whom Brahim Bouhlel evokes in this famous video.
What reactions after the verdict?
As soon as the verdict was announced, the Moorish Movement spoke on Twitter and thanked the president of the Moroccan Lawyers Club, Me Mourad Elajouti, for having “quickly reacted and taken charge of this case”.
He also indicated that he "hopes that this case will serve as an example to artists who will have the same bad idea".
It's me who thank you 🇲🇦🙏 @ MoorishMovement https://t.co/1W3xKQvfqA
- Mourad Elajouti (@Elajouti) April 21, 2021
Brahim Bouhlel's sentencing to prison has caused a lot of reaction on social networks.
Internet users welcomed this decision when others condemned it, denouncing an "inappropriate sentence".
In France, neither Canal +, which broadcasts the “Validé” series, nor its creator, Franck Gastambide, have yet reacted to this announcement.
Faced with the controversy, the three men in the video had in turn apologized on the Internet.
On his Instagram account, the actor of "Validated" explained that "[his] desire was none other than [to make fun of people who convey these clichés, it was completely parodic.
I was playing a character.
I tried to be funny but I admit that I messed up deeply ”.
And now ?
The French Canal + series "Validé" has been renewed for a second season, filming of which ended at the end of 2020 and a teaser of the new episodes has already been broadcast. For the time being, no broadcast date has been announced and there is no doubt that the conviction of Brahim Bouhlel, who plays one of the main roles, risks compromising the promotion of this season 2.