A dozen activists gathered on Friday, November 22, at 8 a.m., in front of the Paris judicial court, to support Léna Lazare and Basile Dutertre, two emblematic figures of the Earth Uprisings. The two activists appeared before the 24my correctional room for refusing to appear, in July 2023, to a summons from a parliamentary commission of inquiry that had identified them as spokespersons for the movement.
The commission, chaired by Lower Rhine MP Patrick Hetzel (Les Républicains), was created in May 2023 to study “the structuring, financing, means and methods of action of small groups responsible for violence during the demonstrations and rallies that took place between March 16 and May 3, 2023”both against the pension reform and against the Sainte-Soline (Deux-Sèvres) mega-basin project.
Following the two activists’ decision not to appear, Mr. Hetzel, who has since become Minister of Higher Education and Research, contacted the Paris prosecutor, an unprecedented procedure under the Vmy Republic. Considering that the two accused “I was aware of your summons” and that they had done the “election vindicated” In order not to go there, the prosecutor requested, on Friday, against Léna Lazare, the only one present, a two-month prison sentence, a fine of 1,500 euros and the deprivation of her civil rights for one year.
For Basile Dutertre, absent for professional reasons, the prosecutor requested a suspended prison sentence of four months, a fine of 3,000 euros and a ban on his civil rights for two years.
“Irregular” summons for the defense
“I didn’t expect such harsh sentences.declared Léna Lazare at the end of the hearing. I was especially surprised by the deprivation of civil rights, but also by the prison sentence. I find it quite cynical, especially since I had good reasons not to show up [devant la commission d’enquête]. » During the hearing, defense attorneys described the subpoena as“irregular” to the extent that, according to them, the commission of inquiry concerned ongoing judicial proceedings. By appearing before this commission, they argued, the two activists would not have been able to benefit from their right to silence.
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