Ten people will stand trial in Paris on Monday and Tuesday for the alleged cyber-harassment of France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, in the latest legal action sparked by false claims that she is a transgender woman who was born a man.

The eight men and two women, aged 41 to 60, being tried in a Paris criminal court, are accused of making numerous malicious comments about Brigitte Macron’s gender and sexuality, even equating her age difference with her husband to “paedophilia”.

If convicted, they face up to two years in prison.

“These are tweets, posts that can be considered as harassment of Brigitte Macron,” Carlo Brusa, one of the defendants’ lawyers said, adding that his client was “serene”.

“He is part of hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of people who tweeted and retweeted this story considered as extraordinary – though less funny for Mrs Macron – a story known worldwide,” he added.

Unsubstantiated claims over Brigitte Macron’s gender have also been gaining ground in the United States, where Brigitte Macron and President Emmanuel Macron filed a defamation lawsuit in July against right-wing influencer and podcaster Candace Owens, centred on her claim that France’s first lady was born male.