French Rapper Booba Faces Trial Over Online Harassment of Journalist

French rapper Booba, whose real name is Elie Yaffa, is on trial in Paris for alleged online harassment and racial insults. The case centers on accusations by journalist Linh-Lan Dao of franceinfo.fr, who testified that Booba targeted her in January 2024 after she wrote a fact-checking article criticizing his promotion of conspiracy theories linking COVID-19 vaccines to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Dao stated that Booba's posts to his over 6 million followers on platform X led to weeks of racist, sexist, and transphobic abuse directed at her, which she described as being 'thrown to the wolves.' During the hearing at the Paris criminal court on April 1, prosecutor Quitterie Cesari requested an eight-month suspended prison sentence, a €30,000 fine, and mandatory anti-hate training for the artist. Booba, who resides in the United States, did not attend the trial, citing health reasons; his lawyer Marie Roumiantseva requested acquittal, arguing he is not responsible for his followers' actions. The court also examined messages targeting essayist Tristan Mendès France, who supported Dao, with prosecutors seeking an additional €20,000 fine. A verdict is scheduled for June 2. This trial follows another case where prosecutors sought action against Booba for alleged online harassment of influencer Magali Berdah.