UN expert raises concerns over French conviction of Dora Moutot

Reem Alsalem, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, has expressed “grave concern” regarding the legal proceedings and reported threats against French essayist Dora Moutot.

The case stems from comments Moutot made during a 2022 television broadcast on France 2. During a debate concerning transgender identity, Moutot stated, “We are forced to be wary of penis-bearing people as women,” in reference to the presence of transgender women in female spaces and prisons.

In May 2026, a Paris court convicted Moutot of public insult against transgender individuals, ordering her to pay fines and damages to several associations. Moutot has appealed the ruling. The UN intervention highlights growing tensions regarding freedom of expression and the protection of women participating in public debates concerning gender and sex in France.