A 19-year-old internet user was sentenced Thursday in Paris to a suspended fine of 2,000 euros, in particular for racist insult towards footballer Kylian Mbappé in a tweet published after a match for the France team in June 2021. This student, absent at the delivery of the decision as at the trial on June 1, was also found guilty of incitement to racial hatred and impersonation for having published the disputed tweet via an account using a false name and the photo of another internet user.
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On June 28, 2021, the elimination of the French football team from the Euro against Switzerland led to a wave of hateful attacks on social networks.
The Pharos online reporting platform had been alerted in the following days to messages targeting several players from the France team and an investigation had been opened.
Among them, a tweet from June 29, 2021, widely relayed and commented on, targeted Kylian Mbappé, whose missed shot on goal had caused the defeat of the Blues.
"
This dirty nigger deserves to take a hundred lashes and be sold in Libya
", it was written.
Identified as the author of the message, Karim C. had admitted in police custody to being the author of the tweet, but affirmed that he had "
played a role
" in creating this account, by making "
copy-pasted
" discussions private with far-right Internet users "
not to spread hatred, but to make people react
".
Compensation for legal costs to three anti-discrimination associations
A defense dismissed by the court, which underlines in its decision that it is “not
supported by any element
” and considers that, by creating a false account, he was rather seeking “
to ensure his own impunity
”.
The court nevertheless remained well below the requisitions of the prosecution, which had asked for six months in prison, stressing that the defendant was a young adult still living with his parents in the Paris region with a clean criminal record.
He was ordered to pay 1 euro in damages and 1,000 euros in legal costs to three civil party associations, SOS Racisme, La Maison des potes and Licra.
Kylian Mbappé had filed a complaint but he had not gone to trial and had not requested compensation.
“
La Maison des potes is satisfied with this conviction decision which is made public so that everyone knows what it costs anyone who spreads racist messages on social networks
”, reacted the association.
