Karim Benzema has been sentenced to a yr in jail with a one-yr suspension and fined €seventy five,000 for his position within the attempted sex tape blackmail of former France teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
The courtroom imposed a harsher punishment on Benzema than the prosecution asked, with Valbuena's defense group stressful only a ten-month suspended sentence. Benzema's legal professional, in spite of everything, maintained his purchaser's innocence and indicated an appeal may be made.
"It was really introduced by using the courtroom that Karim Benzema became now not aware about the prior machinations after which ultimately they said that 'he cannot, now not have recognized,' with none proof," said Benzema's attorney following the decision.
"They have condemned him with a very intense, unjust sentence with out evidence. We will of direction attraction because Karim Benzema did not anything incorrect on this affair."
As matters stand, Benzema will serve no prison time, as a 'suspended sentence' way the participant will simplest do time in jail if he is convicted of pertinent offenses at some point of the 12-month sentencing period.
The trouble commenced in 2015 whilst Valbuena ordered Axel Angot of Marseille to transfer the contents of his mobile smartphone to a brand new device. Angot discovered sexually specific content material at the cellphone and sought to blackmail Valbuena by threatening to publicize the content material.
Benzema has been located guilty of pressuring Valbuena – who is currently a member of Greek club Olympiakos – to pay the blackmailers for whom he functioned as an intermediary. Benzema was in the end one of five men attempted in connection with the scandal.
Benzema has consistently disputed the prices, claiming he turned into merely attempting to help Valbuena in removing the dangerous film. He and Valbuena have been not present at the Versailles trial.
The 33-year-old is now La Liga's main scorer, with ten dreams in 12 fits. He is about to begin tonight's Champions League in shape against FC Sheriff.
