Hate speech trial opens for French far-right pundit

By SYLVIE CORBET
The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — A far-right TV pundit who is expected to run for the French presidency is going on trial for allegedly inciting racial hatred with his comments on unaccompanied migrant children. Eric Zemmour is being tried Wednesday on charges of “public insult” and “incitement to hatred or violence” against a group of people due to their ethnic, national, racial or religious origin. Zemmour is widely expected to soon announce his candidacy for France’s April presidential election. The essayist and talk-show commentator is finding fervent audiences for his anti-Islam, anti-immigration invective. Zemmour was not present Wednesday at the Paris court, where he was represented by his lawyer. But in a statement, he decried an alleged effort to intimidate him by prosecutors.