Suspended jail terms sought over cyber bullying of Macron’s wife

French prosecutors on Oct 28 sought suspended prison terms of three to 12 months for defendants accused of cyber-bullying First Lady Brigitte Macron by spreading unsubstantiated claims about her gender.

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Prosecutors also requested fines of up to €8,000 (S$12,000) against the 10 defendants — eight men and two women, aged 41 to 65 — who have been accused of cyber harassment targeting the French First Lady.

The heaviest sentences were sought for three defendants described by prosecutors as “instigators”, while the seven others were labelled “followers”.

The trial comes after President Emmanuel Macron and his wife filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States at the end of July, in connection with a false claim amplified and repeated online that Mrs Macron was born male.

The allegation has long targeted the presidential couple, alongside criticism of their quarter-century age gap.

Mrs Macron’s daughter told a French court on Oct 28 that unsubstantiated claims about her mother’s gender had harmed the First Lady’s health.