Rebellious France (LFI) has presented to the Assembly a bill aimed at repealing the crime of advocating terrorism, which according to LFI has accentuated “the instrumentalization of the fight against terrorism” against “freedom of expression”attracting strong criticism from both the right and the presidential camp.
The text, presented by the LFI Norte deputy Ugo Bernalicis and his LFI colleagues, aims to eliminate this crime created by a 2014 law, considering that in this matter it is sufficient “the law of July 29, 1881 that deals with facts relating to the crimes of apology of crimes, apology of war crimes, apology of crimes against humanity”. “What democracy can still retain its name when anti-terrorist methods are used to repress political activists, community activists, journalists and even trade unionists”we can read in the explanatory memorandum.
“The means of fighting terrorism in France have been periodically diverted from their objective by governments of repressing freedom of expression”we can also read in this presentation.
Bernalicis cites the case of the leader of the CGT of the North, Jean-Paul Delescaut, sentenced in the first instance to one year of suspended prison (he appealed) for “apology for terrorism” through comments made in a pamphlet supporting the Palestinians. “The horrors of the illegal occupation have accumulated. Since Saturday (October 7, 2023, date of the Hamas attack in Israel, editor’s note) they received the responses they provoked.we could read in this pamphlet.
The LFI deputy also mentions the president of his group, Mathilde Panot, and the LFI MEP, Rima Hassan, who were interviewed in April by the Parisian judicial police in the framework of an investigation for “apology for terrorism”.
In particular, Ms. Panot was heard about the press release published by her group on October 7, 2023, which called the Hamas attack on Israel a “an armed offensive by Palestinian forces”in a “Context of intensification of the Israeli occupation policy” in the Palestinian territories.
“It is difficult to make more despicable”wrote the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, in X, reacting to this proposal. “A proposed law of shame. One more infamy of the Insoumis»judged for his part the president of the UDR group, Éric Ciotti.
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“A week after the commemorations of the November 13 attacks, LFI proposes to repeal the crime of glorifying terrorism. Socialists, how can you expect to govern with them? Cynicism has its limits »For his part, Macronist deputy David Amiel was outraged, as were several other members of his group.
Faced with criticism, the leader of Insoumis, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, denounced “a new attack against LFI coming from the extreme right and slavishly assumed by the political-media bureaucracy”. “Instead of making movies, read the text of the bill”said.
