A French court has fined a far-right presidential candidate over hate speech and convicted him of inciting racial hatred

• A French court convicted a far-right French presidential candidate of inciting racial hatred.
• The candidate, Éric Zemmour, was fined 10,000 euros, according to press reports on Monday.

A French court on Monday convicted the far-right French presidential candidate Éric Zemmour of inciting racial hatred and fined him for remarks he made in 2020, according to reports.

During a September 2020 TV appearance, Zemmour had made racist comments about unaccompanied migrants.

"They are thieves, they are murderers, they are rapists, that's all they are, they must be sent back," Zemmour said at the time, referring to "unaccompanied minors" who "have nothing to do in France," according to Politico.

The Paris court fined Zemmour 10,000 euros, or some $11,400, and Zemmour's lawyer said his client reserved the right to appeal the judgment, Reuters reported.

Zemmour has drawn comparisons to former US President Donald Trump for his racist and anti-immigration remarks.