Suspended prison sentence and media coverage of student Téba Nezar

Téba Nezar, a student at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, has been accused of anti-Semitism following comments posted in a student Instagram group. The case has received significant media attention following public statements by the Union of Jewish Students in France, the university and the Ministry of Higher Education. According to several of the student’s supporters, confusion was created between her pro-Palestinian views and anti-Semitic comments attributed to another student earlier in the year. Téba Nezar claims to have been subjected to a campaign of harassment, insults and death threats after her identity and photograph were shared on social media. An internal disciplinary procedure at Paris 1 concluded that there was no disciplinary offence, but the university decided to appeal. On Friday 5 June, the Paris Criminal Court ruled that the student would be given a four-month suspended prison sentence, an obligation to complete a two-day course at the Shoah Memorial aimed at preventing a recurrence of the offences, a two-year ban on contacting the victim of the aggravated bullying, and a fine of €800.