French prosecutors have opened an investigation into alleged aggravated public insult and incitement to hatred or violence after a Paraguayan senator posted racist remarks targeting Kylian Mbappe following Paraguay's World Cup defeat to France.
The Paris prosecutor's office told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the investigation was launched after the French Football Federation (FFF) filed a complaint with the national unit responsible for combating online hate speech.
Celeste Amarilla, a senator from Paraguay's Liberal Radical Party, made the comments on X after Mbappe converted the decisive penalty in France's victory over Paraguay on Saturday. She targeted the France captain with racist insults about his origins, upbringing, education and appearance.
France has advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals, where it will face Morocco on Thursday.
Mbappe called Amarilla a "despicable woman" who was "unworthy" of serving in Paraguay's Congress.
The Paris prosecutor's office said the remarks were allegedly made because of the victim's actual or perceived origin, ethnicity, nationality, race or religion. The offenses are punishable by up to one year in prison and a 45,000-euro fine ($51,000).
The Paris prosecutor's office can investigate statements made abroad because the victim is a French national.
Amarilla later issued an open letter in French and Spanish on social media, saying her problem was with the player, not France. She wrote that she regretted insulting Mbappe with "the same insults" she had received as a mixed-race person and said she had deleted her post.
But she also demanded an apology from Mbappe, accusing him of gender-based violence in his comments about her and threatening legal action if he did not retract them.
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.
The FFF denounced Amarilla's comments as "utterly abhorrent" and "unacceptable," while French President Emmanuel Macron and Sports Minister Marina Ferrari voiced support for Mbappe.
