Last Updated on January 6, 2026 1:29 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
Brigitte Macron X photo
AMN / NEW DESK
A Paris criminal court on Monday (January 5) convicted 10 individuals for orchestrating and participating in an online harassment campaign against France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, ruling that the abuse was deliberate, degrading and malicious.
According to Le Monde, the defendants—eight men and two women -were found guilty of spreading false and defamatory claims on social media, including allegations questioning Brigitte Macron’s gender identity and insinuations of paedophilia linked to the age difference between her and President Emmanuel Macron. The court noted that several of the posts reached tens of thousands of viewers, amplifying their harmful impact.
Eight of those convicted received suspended prison sentences ranging from four to eight months. A ninth defendant, who failed to appear in court, was sentenced to six months in jail. All but one of the accused, including a tenth individual, were also ordered to attend mandatory courses aimed at combating online hate speech. In addition, three defendants identified as key instigators were barred from using their social media accounts for six months.
Presiding judge Thierry Donard said the accusations amounted to intentional harm, describing them as “insulting, degrading and malicious.” Brigitte Macron’s lawyer, Jean Ennochi, welcomed the ruling, stressing that the educational measures and account suspensions were essential to preventing further online abuse.
Earlier Tiphaine Auzière the daughter of French first lady told a Paris court that her mother now suffers from “deep anxiety” because of false claims about her gender.
“There isn’t a single week when she isn’t harassed, not one person in her personal or professional life fails to bring up these allegations,” Auzière said.