Guillaume Meurice summoned by the police in connection with a complaint for “incitement to hatred”

It was the person himself who revealed the information. Tuesday morning, Guillaume Meurice was interviewed by the Paris judicial police. “It’s the story of a guy… who makes jokes in 2023” he wrote in a tweet, illustrated by the truncated photo of a summons from the Judicial Police Department.

According to BFMTV, the France Inter comedian was in fact heard by the Brigade for the Repression of Delinquency Against Persons (BRDP) as part of a free hearing concerning the remarks he made on the air on 29 last October. In a sketch, the columnist compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a “Nazi without a foreskin”.

Contacted by Le Figaro, a source close to the investigation confides that this hearing was carried out after an association made a report against the comedian, linked to the anti-Semitic comments he allegedly made. According to our information, it is more precisely a complaint for incitement to hatred filed by the OJE, the European Jewish Organization, more than a fortnight ago. The elements of this complaint were submitted for approval to the prosecutor of the Nanterre court, who considered that there was sufficient evidence to open an investigation. The latter was entrusted to the criminal brigade.

“In these particularly troubled times for the entire national community, we consider that the remarks made by Guillaume Meurice, under the guise of humor, incite hatred and trivialize anti-Semitism,” Muriel Ouaknine-Melki told Le Figaro, criminal lawyer and president of the OJE.

“Guillaume Meurice is at a turning point and he would be well advised to stop. Dieudonné started like that. It would be a shame if he took over,” continues the president of the OJE. On Tuesday, she also responded to the comedian’s tweet, “It’s the story of a guy… who makes jokes in 2023.” “No Guillaume Meurice, it’s the story of a French citizen, a communications professional, who during prime time makes comments likely to provoke hatred among other citizens because of their religious affiliation Jewish.

Since the end of October, Guillaume Meurice’s comments on France Inter have sparked heated controversy. Last week, the Senate contacted Arcom, the media regulator, about his sketch and the body should rule in the coming days. Last Sunday, the show did not take place, its presenter and producer Charline Vanhoenacker having been put to rest.