Impunity on social networks has not passed. A student was sentenced on Thursday, September 7, to a suspended fine of 2,000 euros for having published a tweet containing a racist insult against French international footballer Kylian Mbappé, according to AFP.
Following the elimination of the French team against Switzerland in the round of 16 of Euro 2020, on June 28, 2021, several hate messages had targeted French players on social networks. An investigation had also been opened a few days later, after the Pharos online reporting platform had been alerted.
Author of missed shot on goal that precipitated the French defeat, Mbappé was then the target of several Internet users. Among them, a certain Karim C. “This dirty nigger deserves to take a hundred lashes and be sold in Libya”he had posted via an account using a false name and the photo of another user.
Identified as the author of the message, this 19-year-old man admitted, while in police custody, to being the author of the tweet. He had justified himself by claiming to have “play a role” by creating this account, by making “copy-pasted” private discussions with far-right Internet users to “not to spread hatred, but to make people react”. He was convicted of incitement to racial hatred and impersonation. Lhe court indeed found that it was seeking “to ensure its own impunity” with a fake account and that this defense was not “supported by no evidence”.
The sentence is however well below the requisitions of the prosecution, which had requested six months in prison. In addition to the €2,000 suspended fine, the man was also ordered to pay a symbolic euro in damages and €1,000 in legal costs to three civil party associations, SOS Racisme, La Maison des friends and the Licra.
“The House of Pots is satisfied with this sentencing decision which is made public so that everyone knows what it costs anyone who spreads racist messages on social networks”, reacted the association. If he had filed a complaint, Kylian Mbappé had not made a request for compensation.