Hate speech fine fails to silence Zemmour

ERIC ZEMMOUR yesterday said child migrants have a tendency to become criminals, despite his conviction for inciting racial hatred by labelling them thieves.

The hard-right French presidential candidate said he was the victim of a “political justice” and promised to continue to speak about crime among those seeking asylum in France.

A Paris court fined him €10,000 (£8,400) for describing child migrants as “thieves, murderers and rapists”. Mr Zemmour, who has two previous hate speech convictions, was ordered to pay daily instalments of €100 (£84) over 100 days for “public insult” and “incitement to hatred or violence” against a group of people due to their ethnic, national, racial or religious origin.

The 63-year-old could be jailed if he fails to pay the sum.

The television pundit, whose lawyer said he would appeal against the verdict, stood by his comments despite the conviction. “I’m once again the victim of a political justice,” Mr Zemmour said.

“The truth is that these ‘unaccompanied minors’ – who are very often nei- ther minors nor unaccompanied – are characterised by their illegal presence in our country and their strong propensity to delinquency, even criminality,” he said. “As French citizens, we should demand the right to broach this issue, without running the risk of being troubled by the courts.”

Mr Zemmour, who is struggling to assemble the endorsements from elected officials he needs to compete in April’s presidential election, was not in court to hear the verdict, having already skipped his trial in November.