The Paris Court of Appeal released, this Thursday afternoon, Eric Zemmour for “Crimes Against Humanity Dispute”. The former polemicist and candidate for the presidential election had, in October 2019, affirmed on the CNews channel that Marshal Pétain had “Safeof French Jews during World War II. A statement contradicting historical facts. The one who also declared himself this Thursday as a candidate for the legislative elections in the constituency of Saint-Tropez had already benefited from an acquittal during his trial at first instance, in February 2021, but the prosecution had appealed.
During this appeal trial, in January, the Advocate General had demanded a sentence of 100 day-fines of 100 euros, or a fine of 10,000 euros which can turn into imprisonment in the event of non-payment. The appeal trial took place without the presence of Eric Zemmour, then campaigning, nor even of his lawyer, Me Olivier Pardo, who had unsuccessfully requested a dismissal after the presidential election for “reasons of serenity”. The far-right polemicist was not present when the judgment was announced.
Revisionism
Eric Zemmour’s contested remarks were made during a debate with Bernard-Henri Lévy, on the program Facing the news on CNews. “One day […] you dared to say that Pétain had saved the French Jews. It is a monstrosity, it is revisionism”was indignant BHL. “It’s the real again, I’m sorry”, Zemmour retorted. During the trial at first instance, the latter had defended himself from any challenge of crime against humanity and had considered that the debate on the role of Vichy towards French Jewish citizens should be decided by historians and not by justice.
In its judgment relaxing it, the court considered that the contested words of Eric Zemmour had been made “point-blank during a debate on the war in Syria”. The court nevertheless recognized that his words contained “the denial of participation [de Pétain] to the policy of extermination of the Jews carried out by the Nazi regime”.
A repeat offender who has been convicted several times
The controversial outings of Eric Zemmour have earned him around fifteen lawsuits, in particular for racial insult, incitement to hatred or contestation of crimes against humanity.
He has been convicted several times in criminal courts, most recently in January for “incitement to hatred and violence” and “public insults towards a group of people because of their origin” for comments on unaccompanied migrant minors. He appealed against this judgment. He was also definitively sentenced twice for “incitement to hatred”for remarks made in 2010 and 2016.