Karim Benzema denies alleged links to terrorist organisation and is considering legal action

According to Le Parisien, Karim Benzema (35) is considering taking legal action against the French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin who claimed that the Al-Ittihad forward has links to the terrorist organisation – Muslim Brotherhood. The Ballon d’Or winner denies the claims made against him and his lawyer has dismissed the claims as “false“. The French interior minister accused the former Lyon and Real Madrid striker of being “in notorious links with the Muslim Brotherhood” on the set of CNews. 

Benzema’s lawyer has confirmed that they are considering taking legal action against Darmanin for defamation and manipulation while in a position of government, saying “We are considering proceedings against this minister in application, for example, of the law on the manipulation of information dear to our government… and defamation or even public insult, because this non-existent link with the Muslim Brotherhood, which he says is notorious, is obviously presented as derogatory.”

Muslim Brotherhood is considered to be a terrorist organisation in 7 countries, including Saudi Arabia, where Karim Benzema now plays his football following his summer transfer to Al-Ittihad from Real Madrid. Benzema’s lawyer mentioned that the Muslim Brotherhood is not recognised as a terrorist organisation in France to Le Parisien. 

The former French international is also planning to take legal action against Nadine Morano, a member of the European Parliament. Morano labelled Benzema as an “agent of Hamas propaganda”. This was following the French striker took to X (formerly Twitter) to pay tribute to victims in Gaza.  

GFFN | Liam Wraith