The Court of Appeal of Paris confirmed this Friday the sentence of three years in prison, two of them exempt from compliance, issued in the first instance against Alexandre Benalla, until 2018 responsible for the personal security of the French president, Emmanuel Macron.
The man, whose name constituted the first major scandal since Macron's arrival to the Elysée in 2017, will be able to see how the year of firm imprisonment can be softened with house arrest and an electronic bracelet. The court also confirmed the fine of 500 euros, the ban on carrying a weapon for ten years and the disqualification from public office for five.
Benalla was found guilty in November 2021 for the violent acts he committed against two individuals during the May 1, 2018 demonstration and also for the fraudulent use of his diplomatic passport and for carrying a weapon without authorization.
The man, who is currently 32 years old, lives in Switzerland and works in the private sector, went to court to hear the sentence and did not make any statements. His name overshadowed the image of Macron, with whom he began working when he was only a candidate and at whose side he grew to become an indispensable element of the president's security, despite not having followed the usual hierarchy.
Benalla was the first scandal of the current president's term and the first blow to his popularity, just a year after having won the 2017 presidential election. Then came other fronts, such as the yellow vests, which did not prevent his re-election in 2022, although with less margin against the far-right Marine Le Pen.