Paraguayan Senator Faces Extradition Threat Over Kylian Mbappé Insults

Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla could face extradition to her home country over alleged defamation of French football star Kylian Mbappé. Her lawyer, Guillermo Duarte Cacavelos, stated that Mbappé could be extradited to Paraguay to face charges for comments he made on social media.

The controversy began after Paraguay's World Cup elimination, when Amarilla directed a series of racist and insulting remarks at Mbappé on the social platform X. She questioned his intelligence and made derogatory comparisons. Mbappé responded directly to the senator, calling her "a despicable woman unworthy of her position."

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This message was written in a space that is neither Paraguayan nor French, namely the social network X. As the facts also had consequences in Paraguay, what Mbappé wrote can indeed be judged here in Paraguay; what constitutes defamation or slander for us is also established as a criminal offense in France, and we can initiate proceedings against Mbappé here, and he can be extradited to appear before the justice here, in Paraguay.

Following Mbappé's reply, Amarilla's lawyer asserted that the footballer's message, posted on X, could be considered defamation in Paraguay. He argued that because the consequences of the message were felt in Paraguay, Mbappé could be subject to Paraguayan jurisdiction and potentially extradited. This claim, however, faces significant hurdles, as France generally does not extradite its own citizens. Furthermore, a 2003 extradition treaty between France and Paraguay stipulates that extradition is unlikely if the potential prison sentence is less than two years, and defamation charges in France typically carry a maximum of one year or a fine, especially with aggravating factors like racism.

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a despicable woman unworthy of her position.