The UN Human Rights Office has condemned the racist and dehumanising remarks made by Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla against France forward Kylian Mbappe, describing them as "despicable" and regrettably "not isolated".
In a statement released on Tuesday, UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said the comments reflected a broader pattern of racism in football and sport.
"The racist and dehumanising remarks against French footballer Kylian Mbappe by Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla are despicable and, regrettably, not isolated," Al-Kheetan said.
The UN rights office urged governments and sports organisations to actively prevent acts of racism and discrimination, and to ensure "independent and effective accountability mechanisms" are in place.
Al-Kheetan emphasised that public officials have "a heightened responsibility" to stand against racism, discrimination and hate speech in their public discourse.
"Social media companies also have a responsibility to prevent and address racial discrimination and xenophobic abuse on their platforms, in accordance with international human rights standards," he added.
Amarilla, a member of Paraguay's Liberal Radical Party, posted a torrent of racist abuse on X after France's 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the World Cup Round of 16 on Saturday.
She described Mbappe as a "colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French" and called him a "brute" who had never learnt to write. In another post, she wrote: "Instead of breast milk, he sucked on coconuts, and the most educated creatures he ever listened to were chimpanzees."
She also suggested Paraguay's players should have slapped him after the match.
The France captain responded with a strongly worded statement on X, calling Amarilla "a despicable woman and unworthy of your position".
"Through your recklessness and your brazen racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort that your players accomplished during this World Cup, making way for an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country," Mbappe wrote.
"I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world," he added.
France, with Mbappe leading the line, will face Morocco in the World Cup quarter-finals in Boston on Thursday. The 27-year-old is currently joint top-scorer in the tournament with seven goals, level with Argentina's Lionel Messi and Norway's Erling Haaland.
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