Enlarge image
Bodyguard Alexandre Benalla, French President Macron (2017)
Photo: Christophe Ena / AP
The former "Rambo" of the Élysée Palace, as it is called by the French media, has to be imprisoned for three years.
Alexandre Benalla, a former confidante of French President Emmanuel Macron, was convicted of willful violence at a demonstration and other offenses.
Of these, two years will be suspended, as it was called in the judgment of a Paris court.
The Élysée came under massive pressure in 2018 because of the allegations against the then security officer of the President, Alexandre Benalla.
Benalla had to vacate his post.
Beat demonstrators as a disguised police officer
The affair largely goes back to May 1, 2018: At the time, he was accused by the media of violent action against demonstrators.
He then had to leave the Elysee Palace.
Video recordings showed him hitting people wearing a police helmet and a police armband - although he did not hold any police functions.
The court found him guilty of willful violence against four people.
He also interfered in their arrest without official authorization.
On the way with stolen diplomatic passports
The Paris court also ruled that Benalla had illegally used diplomatic passports after his expulsion from the Élysée.
He had received the diplomatic passports while working for Macron's official residence.
After being kicked out of the Élysée Palace, Benalla is said to have traveled around 20 times with diplomatic passports.
He was also found guilty of illegally carrying a gun in April 2017.
The court based the sentence on the severity of the offenses.
In addition, Benalla continuously refused to acknowledge his guilt, thereby showing his indifference to the law.
Benalla is said to spend the year in prison, which has not been suspended, with an electronic ankle cuff at home.
Macron had come under severe pressure in the Benalla affair.
The opposition accused him of having covered Benalla for a long time and of maintaining contact with him even after he was expelled.
mrc / dpa