French activist Thaïs d’Escufon has vowed to appeal her latest conviction after a court fined her €1,000 over comments linking immigration to violence against women, while dropping the possibility of a prison sentence.
D’Escufon, who says she was sexually assaulted by a Tunisian migrant in 2022, revealed the outcome in a video message to supporters, describing the ruling as a significant reduction from the punishment she had been facing.
“I went from facing four months in prison to receiving a €1,000 fine,” she said.
The activist had been prosecuted over statements in which she argued that “the main threat to women in France comes from black and Arab immigrant men.” According to d’Escufon, prosecutors sought a four-month custodial sentence over those remarks.
D’Escufon posted a screenshot of the verdict on her Patreon, which confirmed she had been convicted of public insult on the basis of origin, ethnicity, nationality, race, or religion.
Speaking after the verdict, d’Escufon claimed the case was politically motivated and linked it to her own experience as a victim of sexual violence.
“I was sued for these words despite the fact that I was myself the victim of a sexual assault committed by a Tunisian migrant in 2022,” she said.
She also referenced an earlier conviction related to anti-migration activism, saying, “I had already been sentenced to a six-month suspended prison and a €3,000 fine for denouncing human trafficking across the Mediterranean Sea.”
D’Escufon credited an international support campaign for helping her avoid imprisonment.
“What happened feels almost unreal. Your support exceeded anything I could have imagined,” she said. “The media pressure became international.”
The activist claimed coverage of her case spread across Europe, the United States, and Japan, creating scrutiny that influenced the outcome.
“Because of you, this absurd injustice was forced to back down,” she said. “The moment we shine a light on what they are doing, they can no longer hide.”
D’Escufon announced that she will challenge the conviction despite the risk of a harsher sentence on appeal.
“I have decided to appeal this conviction,” she said. “I could end up receiving a harsher sentence, but after everything you have done for me, I simply do not have the right to be cowardly.”
She argued that accepting the judgment would mean acknowledging wrongdoing where she believes she was raising legitimate public concerns.
“It would mean admitting that I was wrong to speak out about what I believe threatens the French people,” she said. “It would mean accepting a criminal record like an ordinary offender when my only crime was speaking out in what I believe was the public interest.”
D’Escufon also used the video to criticize French institutions and draw comparisons with Britain’s grooming gang scandals, arguing that authorities are more willing to prosecute controversial speech than confront politically sensitive crimes.
“That is the reality many would rather suppress,” she said. “And today I am being convicted for pointing to facts.”
The right-wing activist vowed to continue highlighting concerns over immigration. “Even if I’m too radical for the right-wing politicians in France, my determination and my radicality will not move an inch,” she said. “The world stood with me when I needed it most. Now I intend to make sure the world knows what is happening here.”
