Le Pen acquitted in trial over racist insult against Moroccan-born plaintiff

Former National Rally (RN) leader Marine Le Pen was acquitted on Tuesday by the Paris Correctional Court in the case involving allegations of «public insult based on origin, ethnicity, nation, race, or religion». The lawsuit was filed by Moroccan-born Yasmine Ouirhane, who took action after being linked to «radical Islam». According to the AFP, the court determined that the words in question do not «clearly and objectively refer to jihadism, terrorism, or deadly ideologies, but rather to a strict practice of this religion».

The incident dates back to March 2019, when the RN deputy commented on a photo of Ouirhane, then a veiled student at the Institute of Political Studies (IEP) in Bordeaux, who had been named Young European of the Year by the Schwarzkopf Foundation. Yasmine Ouirhane decried «the violence of this essentialization», which she said left her with «scars».

Following the surge of online harassment triggered by Le Pen's remarks, Ouirhane relocated to the United Kingdom, only returning to France in 2023. The court acknowledged that the topic of radical Islam, with which Yasmine was associated, is a matter of societal debate. However, it stated that «linking a person to the strict practice of a religion does not (...) constitute an insult».

This decision aligns with the defense's arguments, which also called for acquittal. Now a sales manager at a tech company with a degree in international relations, Yasmine Ouirhane still has the option to appeal the verdict.

Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen was not present at the final hearing. Simultaneously, her questioning in the case concerning European parliamentary assistants commenced at the Court of Appeal on the Île de la Cité.