The far -right polemicist challenged a conviction made in 2017 by a French court for remarks he made on Muslims, during a visit to France 5.
By Franck Johannès
Eric Zemmour, who has never hidden the evil he thought of magistrates in general and of the European Court of Human Rights (ECDH) in particular – “these judges who crowd democracy”, As he said to the point -, has enough to be reinforced in his feeling. The ECHR rejected, Tuesday, December 20, its request against France, after its final conviction for “provocation to discrimination and religious hatred” and its words on Islam made in 2016, on France 5.
The far -right polemicist had been invited, on September 16, 2016, in the program “C à vous” after the publication of his thirteenth book, a five -year term for nothing (Albin Michel) and had some final sentences on Islam. The association Coordination of calls for a just peace in the Middle East had filed a complaint, and the court had sentenced him, on June 22, 2017, for five passages to a sentence of 5,000 euros – he risked 45,000.
The question of whether he believed that there were Muslims in France who lived in peace and were integrated, he had simply answered “no”. He added that “the soldiers of jihad are considered by all Muslims, whether they say it or not, like good Muslims”; And for him, jihadism and Islam, “it’s equal”. “We have lived for thirty years an invasion, colonization, which leads to a blast, had developed the journalist of Figaro, in countless French suburbs where many young girls are veiled, it is also Islam, it is also Djihad. “We must then prohibit Muslims from exercising their religion, had asked for a journalist from France 5.” I think that they must be given the choice between Islam and France “, replied Mr. Zemmour .
“Auton a cleavage”
The Paris Court of Appeal considered, on May 3, 2018, that only the last two passages were likely to fall under the law, and reduced its fine to 3,000 euros, a decision confirmed by the courtyard cassation on September 17, 2019.
Before the European Court, Eric Zemmour’s lawyer, Mᵉ Antoine Beauquier, argued that this condemnation was an attack on his right to freedom of expression and that his remarks were a general interest debate – two points that neither the ECHR nor the French government dispute -, but that the polemicist had to give short answers to “biased, targeted and provocative questions of journalists” and that a conviction would deprive “intellectuals like him” take part in the debate.
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