An investigation was opened after a report from the International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism (Licra) denouncing racist publications targeting Franco-Malian singer Aya Nakamura, who could sing at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games , indicated, Friday March 15, the Paris prosecutor's office.

The 28-year-old singer, crowned female artist of the year at the Victoires de la Musique, is stigmatized by the far right and has been the subject of numerous racist attacks since the announcement at the end of February by the weekly L'Express, of his possible participation in the evening of July 26 to launch the Summer Olympic Games.

She could then perform songs by Edith Piaf.

This possible participation has not been made official to date either by the singer, nor by the organizers of the Games, nor by the Élysée.

The investigation, opened after the receipt on March 13 of the report from Licra "denouncing publications of a racist nature to the detriment of Aya Nakamura", was entrusted to the National Center for the Fight against Online Hate (PNLH), specified the floor.

"You can be racist but not deaf..."

SOS Racisme announced in a press release on Friday that it would in turn take legal action, denouncing "waves of racist hatred against Aya Nakamura" and citing as an example the dissemination last weekend on social networks of a banner from the identity collective Les Natifs .

On this banner was written: “There’s no way Aya, this is Paris, not the Bamako market”.

"The aim of this banner was to assert that Aya Nakamura - although a French artist - had no legitimacy to represent France, the artist being referred to Malian origins which were clearly disqualifying in the eyes of the extreme right", denounced SOS Racism.

For several days, Aya Nakamura has been the victim of waves of racist hatred driven by the far right.

SOS Racisme has taken legal action to prosecute the acts of incitement to discrimination and racist cyberharassment of which the artist was the victim.1/2 pic.twitter.com/t0oAZ1tbKY

— SOS Racisme - #NonAuRacisme (@SOS_Racisme) March 15, 2024

The artist reacted to this banner in a post on his social networks: "You can be racist but not deaf... That's what hurts you! I'm becoming a number 1 state subject in debates etc but I What do you actually owe? Kedal" (sic).

Faced with repeated attacks targeting the French-speaking singer most listened to in the world since her title "Djadja", the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, warned Tuesday against "pretexts for attacking someone out of pure racism ".

“Attacking an artist for who she is is unacceptable, it is a crime,” she insisted.

Aya Nakamura, one of the heavyweights of RnB in France, released her 4th album "DNK" last year.

With AFP

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