Zemmour appeals to the European Court of Human Rights

Eric Zemmour has decided to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights after his final conviction by the French justice for provocation to religious hatred, was learned Friday from his lawyer, confirming information point.

In September, the Court of Cassation rejected his appeal against a judgment of the Paris Court of Appeal of May 2018 which sentenced the columnist and polemicist to a fine of 3,000 euros for anti-Muslim remarks in 2016 in the broadcast from France 5 "C to you".

The author of the "Destin French" had notably considered that it was necessary to give to Muslims "the choice between Islam and France" and that France lived "for 30 years an invasion", affirming that "in innumerable suburbs French, where many girls are veiled "was playing a" struggle to Islamize a territory "," a jihad ".

The Court of Appeals held that both passages "are aimed at Muslims as a whole and contain an implicit exhortation to discrimination".

Eric Zemmour had also been sentenced to pay a symbolic euro and 1,000 euros in legal costs to the association CAPJPO EuroPalestine, which had initiated the prosecution.

"The decision to sentence Zemmour violates freedom of expression and constitutes a breach of fair trial," said his lawyer Antoine Beauquier at the weekly Le Point. "Our appeal raises the question: does France still allow someone the right to be a polemicist?"

As recalls the weekly, this appeal may seem paradoxical while Eric Zemmour has castigated in the past the ECHR, but the columnist, who is since Monday the star of a new issue of CNews, is determined to use all means to defend.