The Aix-en-Provence Court of Appeal on Tuesday released the senator (ex-RN rallied to Zemmour) Stéphane Ravier who had appealed his conviction for sexist public insult towards the deputy mayor of Marseille Samia Ghali.
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The elected official was sentenced on May 11, 2021 by the Marseille criminal court to a fine of 1,500 euros following a complaint with civil action by the former socialist senator.
On April 18, 2019, during a conference-debate to which Stéphane Ravier had invited the far-right polemicist Eric Zemmour, the elected official had caused hilarity by launching: "
the senator of Marseille, Mrs Samia G., the point G. of Marseilles
”.
"
These words make no sense, except to embark on an exegesis whose outcome is futile
," wrote the court of appeal in its judgment, which AFP consulted.
The appeal judges considered that this "
questionable pun aimed at making the audience laugh (...) does not equate Samia Ghali with a sexual object or symbol and does not make any reference to her sexuality
”.
The policy "
does not excuse everything
"
Stéphane Ravier's remarks do not "
take on the character of an insult, they add, without there being any reason to make any assessment whatsoever about the good or the bad taste of this projection which is part of a discussion of ideas
”.
The remarks “
did not exceed the admissible limits authorized by freedom of expression
”, we read in the judgment.
The court rejected the claim for damages requested by Stéphane Ravier for abuse of process, Samia Ghali having “
simply intended to exercise a right which belongs to him
”, observes the court.
During the hearing, Samia Ghali felt that "
politics does not excuse everything
", calling on the judges to "
set limits
".
For his part, Stéphane Ravier had invoked “
a trait of humor which is part of freedom of expression
”.
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In a press release, Stéphane Ravier judged that “
this senseless procedure does not honor either the policy or the one who brought it.
Justice was able to put her in her place.
I look forward to her publicly apologizing to me after smearing my name and my honor for three years
.”
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