Nicolas Bay, vice-president of Reconquête!, was indicted following a complaint for defamation of the Le Havre rapper Médine, he indicated on Wednesday May 19 to AFP confirming information from the local press.
The former head of the RN had accused the rapper of being close to the
"Islamist movement"
in 2021. Nicolas Bay had targeted Medina in one of his campaign documents, on the occasion of his candidacy for the regional elections in March 2021, in Normandy, under the RN banner.
He had notably criticized the region for subsidizing a documentary devoted to the life of the rapper, whom he accused of being
"close to the Islamist movement of the Muslim Brotherhood"
.
Medina had filed a complaint in June 2021.
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Nicolas Bay confirmed his indictment on Wednesday May 19 in an SMS to AFP.
"I will endeavor to demonstrate without difficulty during the trial the reality of what I said, namely that Medina was characterized by very real, public links which he himself recognized with associations and personalities of this movement”,
he declared.
"In the context of a defamation complaint, the indictment is automatic and therefore does not mean anything as such"
.
Another complaint against Aurore Bergé
In a video posted on his Twitter account, the substitute candidate for Ève Froger (Reconquête!) in the legislative elections in the 4th district of Seine-Maritime, reaffirmed his desire to prove the veracity of his remarks:
“We will not fail to examples and arguments to demonstrate that unfortunately, this rapper, like a number of others, is linked to the movement of the Muslim Brotherhood".
"
I especially want to set a precedent with these cases so that artists, researchers, associations, athletes, journalists who are insulted by Islamists or Islamo-leftists can, through my case, sue all those who try to discredit and smear their work,”
Médine told
Liberation
after the indictment was announced.
And derided the case on social media in a tweet containing a promotional code for his site selling goodies.
In February 2021, the rapper had filed another complaint against Aurore Bergé, then LREM deputy, for similar facts.
The one who is now the Renaissance candidate for the legislative elections in the 10th district of Yvelines had called him an
"Islamist rapper"
on a television set.
Médine told
Liberation
"
not to have any news
" of this complaint.
Read alsoMédine files a complaint against MP Aurore Bergé, who called him an “Islamist rapper”
