Cyril Hanouna Initiates Legal Action Against La France Insoumise Over Controversial Campaign
The French television host's legal complaints stem from a campaign that some have labeled antisemitic.
Cyril Hanouna, a prominent television host in France, has announced his intention to take legal action against the leftist political movement La France Insoumise (LFI).
The announcement comes following a controversial communication campaign that featured an image of Hanouna, which has drawn accusations of antisemitism that LFI has denied.
In a statement released to the press, Hanouna's attorney, Me Stéphane Hasbanian, indicated they are preparing judicial actions related to an 'attack on reputation' and are considering additional actions concerning allegations of antisemitism.
The contentious image was originally published on LFI's social media but has since been removed.
It depicted Hanouna, who is of Tunisian Jewish descent, in a heightened black-and-white portrayal, juxtaposed with messages urging protests against the far-right, scheduled to occur on March 22 across France.
Hasbanian criticized the image, claiming it distorted Hanouna's features to convey a negative connotation.
He asserted, 'It is a photomontage that accentuates Cyril Hanouna's features to make him resemble something or someone else.'
The campaign has sparked widespread condemnation from various quarters.
The International League Against Racism and Antisemitism (Licra) accused LFI of recycling antisemitic iconography with the image in question.
Prominent figures, including attorney Arno Klarsfeld and media group head Denis Olivennes, described the image as clearly antisemitic, with Olivennes likening it to 'fascist methods.' Former Socialist senator David Assouline supported these views, suggesting that the image reflected all the characteristics of antisemitic caricatures.
Some media commentators, such as Jules Torres, have drawn parallels between the visuals used by LFI and antisemitic propaganda from the 1930s and 1940s.
In response to the backlash, LFI has dismissed the accusations as 'nauseating' and attributed them primarily to 'far-right militants' supported by certain media outlets.
They announced that the contentious visual was replaced in order to resolve the situation.
LFI emphasized that its overall campaign included visuals depicting multiple media personalities, including Pascal Praud, who they claim are associated with far-right ideologies.
The campaign aims to mobilize public support for protests against far-right political movements in France.
French Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, commented on the situation, expressing concern that the campaign targets journalists and political figures.
He called on local authorities to consider the possibility of prohibiting the upcoming protests.