Charlie Hebdo condemned for defamation against a Muslim school in Valencia
The newspaper Charlie Hebdo, sued by a Muslim school after an article associating it with the Muslim Brotherhood, was convicted of defamation on Thursday, December 21 by the court of Valence (Drôme), we learned from its lawyer and the president of the association that manages the school.
Charlie Hebdo was sentenced to a suspended fine of €3,000 and will also have to pay €3,000 in damages to the Valeurs et successful association, which runs the school outside of the contract in Valence, they indicated.
Appeal
The lawyer for the satirical weekly, Richard Malka, regretted a “disappointing decision” and announced that he would appeal the judgment, which AFP was unable to consult at this stage.
“Justice clearly shows that there is no link between the association and the Muslim Brotherhood”on the contrary rejoiced the president of Values and Success, Mourad Jabri, “happy with a very rare decision, obtained after a very long fight”. According to him, his association had “suffered an injustice” to “dramatic consequences on a project of public interest”.
Published in July 2022, the article evoked links between Values and success and the Islamist brotherhood of the Muslim Brotherhood. It had created controversy and led, according to the association, to the cancellation in October 2022 of the sale of a plot of land of 8,400 m2, although voted by the city in June, after an intervention by the prefecture.
The private primary school, which accommodates around forty students, is currently housed within the grounds of the great mosque of Valencia. It intended to use this land to expand its premises and enter into a contract with the State. During the hearing, Mr. Malka invoked “the editorial line” from Journal. “We want to muzzle and limit freedom of expression”he pleaded. “The essence of the press and journalism is to create debate”he added.
