prison sentence required against comedian Dieudonné

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Thursday November 14, 2024, the general prosecutor's office of the Court of Appeal of Rennes required six months in prison against the comedian Dieudonné for “concealment of fraud” after having rented the castle of Piré-Chancé (Ille-et-Vilaine) for a show without announcing itself on February 25, 2023.

184 spectators

As a reminder, the owner of the castle had been contacted by relatives of the comedian, in order to organize a “theatrical performance”. She finally learned at the last minute, from the spectators who were waiting in front of the enclosure, that Dieudonné was about to perform there.

“Panic-stricken”, she then had fears “excesses”but the mayor of Piré-Chance had informed him that he could “no longer intervene” because the first spectators were already there. The gendarmes also came to carry out simple “checks” and note that “everything was going well, without incident”, had recalled at first instance the president of the Rennes criminal court.

It was ultimately “by reading a press article” that the public prosecutor of Rennes had decided to pursue the comedian and his companion: the owner of the castle did not never filed a complaint and had also not become a civil party to the trial despite the “undeniable damage to image”, considers the general public prosecutor of the Rennes Court of Appeal.

At first instance, Dieudonné was therefore sentenced to 100 day fines at €80either €8,000 finefor this show which brought together 184 of his fans.

“It’s Dieudonné, we’re going to go quickly”

“A spontaneous opening of an investigation without a complaint for fraud, I have never seen that! », Exclaimed this Thursday, November 14, 2024, Dieudonné’s lawyer.

“The investigation lasted four months, and finished! When I see the delay in processing a complaint filed by the average person… There, we said to ourselves 'it's Dieudonné, so we'll move quickly', without even checking the content of the show…”

“He was sentenced for publicly contesting crimes against humanity and for apology for terrorism on January 11, 2015,” assumed the general counsel, to support the “damage suffered” by the owner of the castle. She would “perhaps not have done things, or at least not in the same way, if she had known”, thinks the magistrate of the general public prosecutor's office.

A thirtieth conviction

The criminal court de Rennes had considered at first instance that the comedian “couldn’t not know” the “illicit conditions” in which the room at the Château de la Beauvais had been reserved. Dieudonné had thus been inflicted on himself thirtieth conviction – a thirty-first has since taken place. “When the rental company learned of his arrival, she tried to have the show canceled,” recalled the president of the Rennes criminal court.

The manager of her production company had received a fine of €2,000 for “fraud”, since she had reserved the premises through “a third person whose marital status was inaccurate”. His “fraudulent maneuvers” had “the effect of deceive the lessor“, who was “not able to go back to Dieudonné”.

A “bitterly” regretted absence

But both have appeals this conviction : they intend to be relaxed. Unlike the first audience, the comedian did not didn't make the trip at the Rennes Court of Appeal, this Thursday, November 14, 2024, no more than the director of his production company.

His lawyer was also unable to provide the judges with “supporting documents” on income from the 58-year-old comedian. The fact remains that there is “no shame in relaxing Dieudonné”, insisted Mr. Karim Laoufi.

From the start of the hearing, the 11th criminal chamber and the general advocate had in turn “bitterly” regretted the absence of the two defendants.

“There were some audience incidents [en première instance, ndlr]… I told myself that, since the debate was purely technical, there was no point in them appearing. »

“I wonder about the sentence of day fines initially handed down… We wonder what it will take for Dieudonné to stop this type of practice,” for his part considered the general advocatebefore requiring six months in prison against this father of seven children.

Concerning the director of her production company, who lives at the same address as the artist in Mesnil-Simon (Eure-et-Loir), she considered that there was reason to order “confirmation” of the monetary penalty pronounced at first instance.

The Rennes Court of Appeal, which has reserved its decision, will rule by about a month.

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