French prosecutors investigating racist insults against Mbappé by Paraguay senator

French prosecutors have opened an investigation into aggravated public insult and incitement to hatred or violence after a Paraguay senator racially abused Kylian Mbappé following Paraguay’s loss to France at the World Cup.

The Paris prosecutor’s office told The Associated Press on Tuesday that it launched the probe after the national unit for combating online hate received a complaint from the French Football Federation.

Celeste Amarilla, 61, a lawyer and senator from Paraguay’s opposition Liberal Radical Party, posted racist comments on X after Mbappé converted the winning penalty in France’s victory over Paraguay on Saturday. She mocked the France captain’s origins, upbringing, education and appearance. France advanced to the quarterfinals, where it will face Morocco on Thursday.

When asked about the French prosecutors’ investigation, Amarilla said she has not been formally notified of any legal proceedings and argued that France had no basis to pursue a case against her.

“To the French Football Federation, I’d tell them to hire a lawyer before talking nonsense,” she told reporters on Tuesday.

The Paris prosecutor’s office can open an investigation into statements made abroad when the victim is French. It said “the remarks were allegedly made because of the victim’s actual or perceived origin, ethnicity, nationality, race, or religion.” These offenses were punishable by up to one year of imprisonment and a 45,000 euros fine ($51,000).

Mbappé called Amarilla a “despicable woman” who was “unworthy” of serving in Paraguay’s Congress.

Her provocative remarks have set off political controversies in Paraguay before. She threatened to sue Mbappé over his comments about her if he didn’t retract them, saying Tuesday, “He’s the one who has to apologize to me.”

She said she regretted some, not all, of her racist remarks and had deleted her posts.

The Paraguayan government released a statement Monday afternoon condemning Amarilla’s remarks as “contrary to the values and principles that inspire peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity that our country promotes.” It added that the senator’s comments do not represent either the Paraguayan government or the Paraguayan people.

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The FFF denounced Amarilla’s comments as “utterly abhorrent” and “unacceptable,” while French President Emmanuel Macron and Sports Minister Marina Ferrari voiced support for Mbappé.

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Associated Press writer Emilio Sanabria in Asunción, Paraguay, contributed to this report.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here