(AFP) French far-right pundit Eric Zemmour, who is widely expected to run for the presidency next year, went on trial Wednesday charged with racist hate speech over a televised tirade against unaccompanied child migrants.
He told the CNews channel in September last year that child migrants were “thieves, killers, they’re rapists. That’s all they are. We should send them back.”
The 63-year-old did not appear in person, saying in a statement that he refused “to accept that a political debate takes place in a courtroom.”
Even if he were convicted, he would almost certainly appeal, and his electoral prospects would be unlikely to suffer as his contempt for “politically correct” speech is part of his appeal.
