Defamation in French law
In France, defamation is a criminal offense arising from "the allegation or imputation of a fact which undermines the honor or consideration of the person to whom the act is attributed". In the absence of imputed facts, this is an insult. In France, defamation can be public or non-public, which conditions the articles of laws that govern it. It can be directed against natural persons or groups of persons, towards a public person or a public institution or even to the memory of a dead person. Defamation can also be aggravated or simple. Non-public defamation due to privacy is the least punishable sanction. The most serious sanction is for public defamation of a person or a public institution or for defamation of an individual or group on discriminatory grounds.