After Karim Benzema commented on the Middle East conflict, he attracted massive criticism. The post still haunts him – now he wants to take action against it.
Karim Benzema has apparently filed a complaint against French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. As French media unanimously report, the star striker is accusing the politician of defamation. Benzema’s lawyer Hugues Vigier submitted a 92-page indictment to the Court of Justice of the Republic on Tuesday.
The CJR is the only court in France that can prosecute and convict members of the government for crimes committed while in office. Darmanin claimed in October 2023 that Benzema had “notorious connections” to the Islamist organization the Muslim Brotherhood. The force originated in Egypt and was classified as terrorist there.
Politicians rumble: Benzema is a “paper Frenchman”
Darmanin’s accusations are based on posts on the X platform (formerly Twitter) that Benzema is said to have shared after the terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel. In them he wrote about “unjust bombings” of Israel. The striker denied the allegations and is now taking action against them in court. The lawsuit will be investigated by a commission, which will decide whether the proceedings will continue.
Benzema publicly professes his Muslim faith. According to “Bild”, he now wants to use the lawsuit to prove that the politician’s claims have damaged his honor and reputation.
In addition to Darmanin, other politicians have also spoken out against Benzema. Republican Party (LR) senator Valérie Boyer even demanded that Benzema be stripped of the Ballon d’Or (2022) and French citizenship. MP Nadine Morano said of Benzema that he “behaves like a paper Frenchman.”
Benzema moved from Real Madrid to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia last summer. There he is expected to earn up to 200 million euros per season.