Former Réunion Mayor Convicted Over Anti-Muslim Remarks
Réunion, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean, is home to diverse communities, including a Muslim minority. The case drew attention after Bénard’s social media posts on 15 March targeted this community, S2J News reported on Saturday.
In the posts, Bénard claimed that “all Muslims on the island” had become fundamentalists, “like all Muslims worldwide.” He also wrote that Muslims “no longer want to integrate” and instead sought to “impose their laws and codes… in canteens, swimming pools, cemeteries… They should leave.”
The Regional Council of the Muslim Faith of Réunion (CRCM) condemned the remarks as unacceptable.
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Bénard, a prominent figure of the Republican right in Réunion and mayor of Saint-Paul from 1999 to 2008, did not attend the final hearing, citing health reasons. His lawyer conveyed his statement: “I offer my most profound and sincere apologies (for the comments).”
He was also ordered to pay one symbolic euro in damages to civil parties.
The court emphasized that a former elected official is expected to set an example. Prosecutors had initially requested a €5,000 fine, part of it suspended, and for the verdict to be publicly posted for one month.
Source: Agencies
