Karim Benzema Files Defamation Case Against French Interior Minister for Islamophobic Comments

Former Real Madrid Superstar and French striker Karim Benzema has filed a defamation case against the French interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.

Earlier, the minister accused the Frenchman of having famous links with his ‘Muslim brotherhood’. In the wake of this Benzema’s legal team responded to the minister with a defamation suit and clearly stated that he was trying to achieve political points scoring through his rhetorical speeches.

Benzema had posted on social media to express his solidarity with the people suffering in Gaza, “Our prayers to the people of Gaza, victims once again of unjust bombardments that spare neither women nor children”

Since then Gerald Darmanin had been targeting the French striker and while giving an interview to a conservative French broadcaster, the minister said, “Benzema is notoriously linked with the Muslim Brotherhood, we all know it.”

However, the French interior minister did not give any evidence or proof to support his statement on national television.

Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamist movement that has been banned in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and many Middle Eastern countries.

Days later, Darmanin tried to defend his statements by pointing out that Benzema had not condemned the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7 and that neither did the Frenchman condemn the actions of an Islamist student who stabbed his teacher to death.

The legal team of Karim Benzema filed a 92-page complaint on his behalf and said that the statements by the minister undermine his reputation as a Frenchman who has represented the country on the world stage.

Benzema stated in his complaint, “I am aware of the extent to which, because of my notoriety, I am being used in political games, which are all the more scandalous given that the dramatic events since 7 October deserve something quite different from this type of statement.”

Hugues Vigier, the lawyer who represented Benzema during the filing of the Defamation case on Tuesday stated, “It’s the exact opposite of what a man who calls himself a politician should be working towards.”

Benzema is currently playing for Al Ittihad in Saudi Pro League and he also won the coveted Ballon d’Or award in 2022.