فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
In a significant legal development, the French Court of Cassation in Paris ruled in favor of Mounir Majidi, the private secretary to King Mohammed VI, in a defamation case against Zakaria Moumni and the platform “X” (formerly known as Twitter). The court overturned a previous ruling by the Court of Appeal, which had rejected Majidi’s request to remove a biography published by Moumni on the platform containing serious allegations against him.
The case dates back to 2022 when Majidi filed a lawsuit against platform “X,” demanding the removal of content he deemed illegal from Zakaria Moumni’s account. Moumni had published claims in his biography on the platform alleging that he had been “threatened with death by Mounir Majidi.” At the time, platform “X,” under Twitter’s management, refused to remove these claims, citing its commitment to freedom of expression.
In September 2022, the Paris Judicial Court ruled in favor of the platform, a decision later upheld by the Court of Appeal in October 2023, which also ordered Majidi to pay compensation to the platform for the lawsuit he had filed against it.
Following the Court of Appeal’s decision, Majidi’s lawyers appealed to the French Court of Cassation, relying on rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union, which state that any illegal content, especially if previously ruled upon, can be subject to removal at the request of the affected party. The defense team also presented strong arguments, noting that Moumni had previously been convicted of public defamation twice, in 2016 and 2020, making the claims published on his account illegal under French law.
On February 26, 2025, the Court of Cassation decided to overturn the Court of Appeal’s ruling, stating that the latter had not based its decision on sound legal grounds. The court also reinstated the case to its status prior to the appealed ruling and referred it back to the Paris Court of Appeal for reconsideration.
In addition to overturning the previous ruling, the Court of Cassation ordered the Irish branch of platform “X,” known as Twitter International Unlimited Company, to pay Mounir Majidi compensation of 3,000 euros. This decision marks a significant legal victory for Majidi, reinforcing his right to demand the removal of defamatory content against him, supported by previous court rulings that convicted Moumni in similar cases.
Following this ruling, the case will return to the Paris Court of Appeal, where judges will have a new opportunity to reassess the lawsuit based on the legal foundations outlined by the Court of Cassation. Majidi and his legal team are expected to continue their efforts to demand the removal of the allegations from Zakaria Moumni’s account, given the legal precedents supporting their position.
This case is part of a broader legal battle against defamation campaigns targeting prominent figures, often used for political or personal purposes, as some activists exploit social media platforms to publish unsubstantiated accusations.
In related developments, French courts had previously convicted Zakaria Moumni of defamation against Mounir Majidi three times between 2016 and 2017. On October 5, 2016, the Paris District Court convicted Moumni of defamation and fined him 1,000 euros. On April 19, 2017, a second ruling was issued against Moumni, his then-wife Taline Sarkissian, and the publishing house “Calmann-Lévy,” also for defamation, with a fine of 1,000 euros. A third ruling against Moumni convicted him once again of public defamation, ordering him to pay a fine and compensation totaling 1,500 euros.
