Source|Archive
French activist Thaïs d’Escufon plans to challenge a court decision imposing a €1,000 fine for comments on immigration, avoiding a potential prison sentence.
D’Escufon, who says she was sexually assaulted by a Tunisian migrant in 2022, announced the outcome in a video message to supporters, describing the ruling as a substantially lighter penalty than prosecutors had sought.
“I went from facing four months in prison to receiving a €1,000 fine,” she stated in the post Thursday.
The case stemmed from statements in which d’Escufon argued that “the main threat to women in France comes from black and Arab immigrant men.” According to the activist, prosecutors sought a four-month custodial sentence.
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Following the ruling, d’Escufon argued that the prosecution was politically motivated and tied the case to her own experience as a victim of sexual violence.
"I was sued for these words, despite the fact that I was myself the victim of a sexual assault committed by a Tunisian migrant in 2022."
The activist credited backing from supporters around the world with contributing her avoiding a prison sentence.
She also referenced in the same post an earlier conviction related to anti-migration activism, saying that she had already been sentenced to a six-month suspended prison and a €3,000 fine for denouncing human trafficking across the Mediterranean Sea.
The activist announced plans to challenge the conviction, even though an appeal could result in a harsher sentence.
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