French footballer Karim Benzema has filed a defamation lawsuit against the country’s interior minister, Gérald Darmanin. The legal action comes in response to Darmanin’s statement claiming that Benzema has “notorious” links with the Muslim Brotherhood. Benzema, 36, denies any association with the organization and accuses the minister of using him for political gains. The legal challenge asserts that Benzema has never had any connection with the Muslim Brotherhood and criticizes Darmanin for lacking evidence to support his claims.
The controversy began in mid-October when Benzema expressed solidarity with the people of Gaza on social media. Darmanin, known for his hardline stance, later stated on a French conservative broadcaster that Benzema is “notoriously linked” to the Muslim Brotherhood without providing any evidence. Despite Benzema’s denial and a threat of legal action, Darmanin refused to provide proof during an interview with BFMTV, citing the player’s silence on certain incidents.
The defamation lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, argues that Darmanin’s remarks damage Benzema’s honor and reputation. The legal document emphasizes that the Muslim Brotherhood is banned in several Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In the 92-page complaint, Benzema, who practices Islam and currently plays for the Al-Ittihad club in Saudi Arabia, expressed awareness of being exploited in political games.
Benzema’s lawyer, Hugues Vigier, criticized Darmanin’s words, stating that they go against the responsibilities of a politician. Vigier argued that Darmanin’s comments are sowing division in France, leading to misunderstandings and exclusion of Benzema by some people.
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema
FranceThis season he played in total 15 times for 1212 minutes for Pro League.
Karim Benzema scored 9 goals for Al Ittihad. He procured 4 assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.
His team is currently 7th in Pro League. In the last match Al Ittihad lost 5-2 against Al Nassr. The next match in Pro League will be against Al Tai.
Al Ittihad performance and stats
Al Ittihad is currently 7th in the Pro League with 28 points.
In the last 18 games, it has won 8 times, drawn 4 times, and lost 6 times. In its last match, Al Ittihad lost 2-5 against Al Nassr.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 34 goals and conceding 26.
Al Ittihad will play the next match in Pro League against Al Tai on Saturday 30th of December in Hail. The prediction is Al Ittihad winning the match.
