Paris Court Convicts 10 People for Cyberbullying Brigitte Macron

On Monday, judges found eight men and two women guilty of making malicious online comments targeting Brigitte Macron, including unfounded allegations that she is transgender and offensive remarks about the age difference between her and her husband, President Emmanuel Macron.

The defendants, aged between 41 and 60, were sentenced to a range of penalties, including mandatory cyberbullying awareness training, suspended prison sentences and, in one case, a six-month jail term. The court ruled that the remarks were «particularly degrading, insulting and malicious».

Ms Macron did not attend the trial but said she launched legal action to «set an example» in the fight against online harassment. One of the key figures in spreading the rumour was identified as Delphine Jegousse, a self-described medium who posted a lengthy YouTube video in 2021 promoting the false claims.

The case stems from long-running conspiracy theories alleging that Ms Macron was born male under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, which is in fact the name of her brother. Similar claims have also circulated internationally and have been amplified online by figures such as US far-right commentator Candace Owens.

The Macrons have since filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States in response to the spread of the allegations, as French authorities continue efforts to curb online harassment and misinformation.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Swiss police have confirmed the identities of 16 additional victims killed in the deadly fire at a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana. Authorities said the youngest was a 14-year-old Swiss girl, with nine of those identified under the age of 18.