Karim Benzema sues French minister over Muslim Brotherhood allegations

Football star Karim Benzema has filed a defamation lawsuit against France’s interior minister who accused him of having links to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Gerald Darmanin said in October that Benzema had “a notorious link” to the Brotherhood — a pan-Arab Islamist group which came to power in Egypt following elections a year after the 2011 popular uprising — because the French international striker had posted a message of support online for the people of Gaza early in the Israel-Hamas war.

In his complaint, filed on Monday with the Court of Justice of the Republic, Benzema denied any links with the Muslim Brotherhood or any member of the organisation.

The CJR is a special court for cases targeting government ministers.

“(Despite this) the interior minister does not hesitate to drag my name through the mud for non-existent links with this organisation,” Benzema said in his complaint, adding that he had been portrayed as being “close to the enemy or directly an enemy” and that it was a breach of his honour.

Benzema’s lawyer Hugues Vigier told RTL radio on Tuesday that the player — who is a Muslim and now plays in the Saudi Arabian league for Al-Ittihad — was a victim of “political exploitation” with considerable consequences to his family.

The 36-year-old forward scored 37 goals in 97 appearances for France. He missed the 2022 World Cup because of injury, having won the coveted Ballon d’Or trophy that year.

Benzema won the Champions League five times with Real Madrid and scored 354 goals for the Spanish club.