Paris (CNN) Four young adults in France have been found guilty of "public insult of racist nature and incitement to commit a crime" by a Paris court for publishing anti-Asian tweets blaming Chinese people for the spread of coronavirus. The four students, aged 19-24, were sentenced to paying back the plaintiffs' lawyer fees and around €1,000 in damages and interests, the Paris prosecutor's office told CNN. A fifth individual involved in the case was found not guilty, the prosecutor's office added. In May 2020, a study published by France's Institute of National Demographic Studies found that the coronavirus pandemic "revealed new dimensions of anti-Asian racism in France." "Beyond social networks, where racist comments break free and where clichés become commonplace, this xenophobia goes from moving further (from Asian people) in public spaces, to verbal or physical assault," the study said.

Source: CNN May 26, 2021 21:00 UTC