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Canceled Bilal Hassani concert: what do defendants accused of provoking hatred risk?

During the hearing held on Wednesday in , the public prosecutor requested sentences of up to six months in prison against five men tried for provoking hatred and public insults. The latter were involved in threats and incitement to violence after the announcement of a concert by Bilal Hassani in a former church in , scheduled for April 2023, but ultimately canceled.

Up to six months in prison and fines were requested by the prosecution against five men tried in Paris on Wednesday for their hateful and insulting remarks against Bilal Hassani, after the announcement of his concert in the old basilica Saint-Pierre-Aux-Nonnains in Metz in April 2023. The artist, an emblematic figure of the LGBT community, finally canceled his show in the face of the wave of hatred aroused, particularly on social networks.

Two of the defendants, tried for aggravated public provocation, received prison sentences required against them: 4 and 6 months in prison. Other defendants, prosecuted for public insults due to sexual orientation or gender identity, risk fines of 1,500 euros. Another accused, tried for inciting violence against people because of their sexual orientation, saw the prosecutor request a three-month suspended prison sentence, accompanied by a citizenship training period.

The case dates back to April 2023, when Bilal Hassani announced that he would perform in the deconsecrated basilica of Metz. This announcement had triggered a wave of threats, the accused having publicly called for violence, as evidenced by a publication on “. Faced with this increase in hatred, the producer of the event, Live Nation, decided to cancel the concert, which led Bilal Hassani to file a complaint. The court’s decision is expected on January 15, 2024.


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