The day after the Minister of the Interior’s accusations, the footballer reacted through his lawyer, formally refuting Gérald Darmanin’s comments.
It’s a phrase that hasn’t gone unnoticed. Monday October 16, 2023, while he was on the set of Pascal Praud’s L’Heure des Pros show on CNews, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, simply accused Karim Benzema of being ” in connection with the Muslim Brotherhood. While he was questioned about the Islamist organization, the tenant of Beauvau precisely declared that “for several weeks, [he has] taken a particular interest… Mr. Benzema has, as we all know, notorious links with the Muslim Brotherhood “. And added: “We are attacking a hydra that is the Muslim Brotherhood because they give an atmosphere of jihadism, as Gilles Kepel said.”
An accusation which did not fail to reach the ears of the main person concerned, who reacted through his lawyer, Me Hugues Vigier, this Wednesday, October 18, firmly refuting the words of Gérald Darmanin, as relayed by Le Parisien . Speaking to the capital’s daily newspaper, the footballer’s advisor initially declared that “Karim Benzema has never had the slightest relationship with this organization.” And to point out: “[The footballer] has also chosen to live in Arabia which has declared the said terrorist organization, which France has never done.”
In any case, Karim Benzema has indicated that he is now considering filing a complaint against Gérald Darmanin. “We are considering proceedings against this minister in application, for example, of the law on the manipulation of information dear to our government… and defamation, or even public insult,” said Mr. Hugues Vigier to Le Parisien, judging, in passing, “not acceptable that those who govern believe themselves authorized to do anything out of pure opportunism”.
