The trial of the Zahia case, involving Franck Ribéry and Karim Benzema, began at the Paris Criminal Court but was promptly postponed until January 20, 2014.
Franck Ribéry’s lawyer, Me Carlo Alberto Brusa, immediately raised a priority question of constitutionality (QPC), challenging the precision of the legal basis for his client’s prosecution. The court acknowledged the seriousness of the raised question, leading to the decision to postpone the trial.
The accusations involve Ribéry and Benzema engaging in sexual relations with Zahia, who was a minor at the time of the events. Ribéry admits to having had a sexual encounter with Zahia but claims he was unaware of her age. Benzema, on the other hand, denies any sexual relations with her.
Notably, neither Ribéry nor Benzema were present in court during the initial proceedings. The trial, originally scheduled to last until June 26, was rescheduled to reconvene on January 20. If found guilty, the two French internationals could face prison sentences and fines.
