The words of Eric Zemmour date back to October 14, 2019, during a debate with Bernard-Henri Lévy in the program “Face à l’Info”, of which he was the star columnist, on CNews.
Le Monde with AFP
The Paris Court of Appeal confirmed, Thursday, May 12, the release pronounced at first instance in favor of Eric Zemmour, tried to “challenge crime against humanity”. He had argued that Marshal Pétain had “saved” French Jews during the Second World War.
The former far -right candidate for the Presidency of the Republic was not present at the hearing, but his lawyer, M e Olivier Pardo, expressed his “immense satisfaction” . “It is a message to all those who want to launch infamous attacks, using the dramas of the Second World War for political affairs. It is freedom of expression that won,” he said to the exit from the courtroom.
The Court did not follow the requisitions of the Advocate General who, during the appeal trial, in January, had claimed a sentence of a hundred days amendes at 100 euros, a sentence of 10,000 euros in fine.
Eric Zemmour sentenced twice for “provocation to hatred”
Eric Zemmour’s disputed remarks date back to October 14, 2019, during a debate with Bernard-Henri Lévy in the program “Face à l’Info”, of which he was the star columnist, on CNews. “One day (…) you dared to say that Pétain had saved French Jews. It is a monstrosity, it is revisionism”, had indignant BHL. “This is once again the real, I’m sorry,” replied Eric Zemmour.
During the trial at first instance, Eric Zemmour defended himself from any crime challenge against humanity and had estimated that the debate on the role of the Vichy regime (1940-1944) towards French Jewish citizens had to be Sliced by historians and not by justice.
In his judgment Relaxing him, the court had estimated that the disputed remarks of Mr. Zemmour had been pronounced “at Bruisse-Pourpoint during a debate on the war in Syria”. The court had nevertheless recognized that its words contained “the negation of the participation [of Pétain] in the policy of extermination of the Jews led by the Nazi regime”.
Eric Zemmour was sentenced several times by criminal courts, the last time in January 2022 for “provocation to hatred and violence” and “public insults towards a group of people because of their origin” For remarks on isolated migrant minors. He appealed this judgment. He was also definitively sentenced twice for “provocation to hatred”, for remarks made in 2010 and 2016.