The Brigitte Macron case: Criminal liability for cyberbullying
A French court has found ten people guilty of cyber harassment targeting the country’s First Lady Brigitte Macron, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to Al Jazeera, the case concerns the dissemination of false and offensive claims on social media regarding the gender and private life of the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron. The defendants include eight men and two women aged between 41 and 65.
The accused systematically published defamatory content, including claims that Brigitte Macron was allegedly born a man, as well as statements equating the age difference between the spouses with pedophilia. Such allegations had previously circulated widely online and were later debunked.
Eight defendants received suspended prison sentences of four to eight months. One individual was sentenced to six months in prison for failing to appear in court, while another was ordered to complete a mandatory course on combating online hate speech.
Prosecutors sought the harshest penalty for one of the key figures in the case, known on social media under the pseudonym Zoe Sagan. Another prominent defendant said he viewed the trial as an infringement on his freedom of expression.
The Macrons largely refrained from publicly responding to the rumors for a long time, but later initiated legal action.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that other high-profile cases related to online harassment and false gender-based accusations are also being examined in France. In August 2024, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics in the 66 kg weight category, filed a complaint with French law enforcement authorities over cyberstalking.
