A Paris criminal court has convicted ten people for cyberbullying Brigitte Macron, the wife of French president Emmanuel Macron, concluding a case linked to a prolonged online harassment campaign targeting her. The court found that the defendants repeatedly shared false and degrading claims about her on social media platforms.
The defendants, eight men and two women aged between 41 and 65, were found guilty of taking part in coordinated online harassment. The court imposed suspended prison sentences ranging from four to eight months. It also ordered several of the convicted individuals to attend awareness courses focused on cyberbullying and restricted their access to social media platforms for a limited period.
According to the ruling, the harassment included the repeated circulation of false claims about France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron’s identity, as well as insulting and degrading remarks about her personal life. The court said the messages were persistent and malicious, and that their cumulative effect amounted to cyberbullying under French law.
During the proceedings, prosecutors argued that the content went beyond isolated insults and formed a sustained campaign designed to damage her reputation. The court agreed, stating that the frequency and nature of the posts caused personal harm and met the legal threshold for criminal liability.
Brigitte Macron pursued the case as part of a broader effort to challenge online harassment and disinformation. Members of her family also testified during the trial, describing the impact of the online abuse on their personal lives. The court noted that the case illustrated how digital platforms can amplify harmful narratives when false information is shared repeatedly.
The verdict forms part of France’s wider enforcement of laws aimed at tackling online harassment. French legislation allows courts to penalise coordinated cyberbullying, particularly when it involves repeated actions by multiple individuals and results in demonstrable harm.
The court said the sentences reflected the seriousness of the offences while taking into account the defendants’ personal circumstances. It added that the case sent a clear signal that online harassment can carry criminal consequences, even when conducted through social media and other digital channels.