Key facts
- MEP Rima Hassan is on trial for 'apology for terrorism' in France.
- Hassan believes the trial is a political attempt to silence pro-Palestinian advocacy.
- The charges stem from a social media post quoting militant Kozo Okamoto.
- Hassan's team asserts the quote relates to the right to resist occupation.
- Hassan alleges judicial and political harassment, including disinformation campaigns.
- Her party, La France Insoumise, supports her, viewing the actions as an attempt to silence pro-Palestinian voices.
Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament (MEP), is facing trial for 'apology for terrorism,' a charge she contends is a politically motivated attempt to silence her pro-Palestinian advocacy. Hassan, elected in June 2024, has become a target of judicial, media, and political pressure in France due to her outspoken criticism of Israel's actions.
Hassan stated that the trial is part of a concerted campaign against her for speaking out for Palestine, highlighting that 16 judicial proceedings have been initiated against her in two years, with 13 already dismissed. She described facing intense judicial and political pressure, including disproportionate investigative measures, violation of her parliamentary immunity, retroactive surveillance, and the dissemination of false information following her detention in April.
The charges stem from a social media post on April 2 where Hassan shared a quote by Japanese militant Kozo Okamoto, who was involved in the 1972 Lod airport attack. Hassan's team clarified that the quote referred to the principle of the right of peoples to resist colonization and occupation. The post was reported to the prosecutor's office by far-right MP Matthias Renault, the French interior minister, the European Jewish Organisation, and the League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism.
Hassan's party, La France Insoumise, and its chairman Jean-Luc Melenchon have publicly supported her, arguing her detention is part of a program to silence pro-Palestinian voices. Hassan's team also alleged that false information regarding narcotics possession was leaked to the press during her detention, which they described as a "genuine disinformation operation" aimed at tarnishing her reputation and diverting political debate. The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the breach of confidentiality.