Loïc Akono, a 35-year-old player, as well as the Messin club “Canonniers” each filed a complaint for incitement to hatred during a sporting event, Me Xavier Iochum told AFP.
Three complaints against X have been filed by the Metz basketball club (Nationale 2, 4th division) and one of its players who denounces racist remarks made against him by a spectator during a match in Charleville-Mézières, we learned Friday from their lawyer.
The Charleville-Mézières prosecutor’s office had already opened a preliminary investigation for this chief on Tuesday following the remarks reported by Loïc Akono. According to the player, a spectator threw at him “Get up bonobo (a monkey from the chimpanzee family, Editor’s note)on January 28 during a match in Charleville.
In addition, Mr. Akono filed a third complaint on the count of racial slur, said Mr. Iochum. “For us, in this affair, there is a dimension that is both collective and individual.commented the board. “It’s good that an investigation has been opened, but for the player himself, it’s good that we can also investigate the racist insults that were personally addressed to him, with the hope that this leadson a lawsuit, he added.
He received many messages of support
Following this incident, the French Basketball Federation (FFBB) imposed a total closed session on all home matches of the Charleville-Mézières club as a precaution. Loïc Akono had denounced Saturday on his Twitter account the racist remarks having targeted him. “I decided to leave the field today in Charleville-Mézières after this sentence from a person in the stands + Get up bonobo +“, he wrote.
Winner of the Coupe de France in 2005 with Gravelines, French ProB champion with Boulogne-sur-Mer and Nanterre, the leader quickly received broad support from the basketball world, with many players sending him messages to this effect on the networks. social.