Paris prosecutors open hate crime probe over racist online abuse targeting Teddy Riner
The Paris public prosecutor's office opened an ex officio investigation into public racist insults and cyberharassment targeting five-time Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner following his televised comments on the French far right.
Prosecutor launches ex officio inquiry
The Paris public prosecutor's office announced on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, through an official statement published on Instagram, that it opened a criminal investigation into cyberharassment and public racist insults targeting French judo star Teddy Riner. Judicial authorities initiated the inquiry on their own initiative after discovering a large volume of hostile and racially motivated comments across online networks. The prosecutor's office confirmed that the investigation has been assigned to the Central Office for Combating Crimes Against Humanity and Hate Crimes (OCLCH), a specialized French law enforcement unit. By opening the probe ex officio, investigators acted without requiring a prior formal complaint from Riner, citing the severity and public nature of the offences.
Televised comments spark online attacks
The wave of abusive messages followed remarks Riner made during an interview on the France 2 sports show Stade 2 on 16 September 2026. In the broadcast, the five-time Olympic champion spoke about his personal view on the political landscape in France, stating that the rise of the far right caused him anguish and made him panic. Following the interview, far-right media outlets and social media accounts circulated clips of his remarks and targeted the black athlete with hostile rhetoric. Investigators documented numerous racist insults and harassing publications, particularly on X and Instagram, before opening the preliminary inquiry.
- Teddy Riner voices fear over the rise of the far right during a televised interview on Stade 2
- Paris public prosecutor opens an ex officio criminal probe into online racist abuse and cyberharassment
- Scheduled Los Angeles Olympic Games where Riner intends to conclude his competitive career
Olympic ambitions and political backdrop
The legal investigation unfolds as Riner prepares for the final chapters of his international sporting career. The heavyweight judoka hopes to conclude his competitive career at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles with an additional gold medal. French sports newspaper L'Équipe reported that Riner has repeatedly indicated that he may pursue political engagement after retiring from professional sport. His statements also arrived in a tense domestic context ahead of the French presidential election scheduled for next spring. The right-nationalist Rassemblement National party has seen its support expand in recent polling, with its candidate Marine Le Pen holding first place in first-round projections.
Far-right scrutiny of French athletes
The attacks against Riner mirror recent friction between right-wing commentators and other prominent French sports figures over political and humanitarian stances. Real Madrid forward and French national team captain Kylian Mbappé recently faced criticism from far-right groups and Spanish media after an incident involving the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta. Mbappé and two teammates refused to fully wear a promotional shirt supporting Ceuta residents during a migration dispute between Spain and Morocco. Mbappé subsequently explained that he stood in full solidarity with Ceuta residents while also wishing to acknowledge migrants who lost their lives or endure harsh living conditions, stating that he refused to establish a hierarchy among human suffering.
