Mathilde Panot’s lawyer believes “that none of her comments can be classified as an apology for terrorism”. On social networks, rebels, environmentalists and socialists react.
Published on 04/23/2024 3:14 p.m. Updated on 04/23/2024 5:57 p.m.
Reading time: 2 min The president of the La France Insoumise group at the National Assembly Mathilde Panot in Brétigny-sur-Orge (Essonne) on September 26, 2023. (XOSE BOUZAS / HANS LUCAS)
“Mathilde Panot never uttered anything that could fall within this qualification,” tells franceinfo Jade Dousselin, the lawyer for the head of the rebellious deputies in the National Assembly. Mathilde Panot announced, Tuesday April 23, her summons by the police for “apology of terrorism” as part of an investigation opened following a press release from the parliamentary group published on October 7, the day of the unprecedented attack carried out by Hamas against Israel.
The lawyer asserts that at this stage they do not yet benefit “specific element” on what he is accused of, which is classic in the context of a free hearing. She believes that this is the press release published by the rebellious deputies, after the attack of October 7. In these few lines, LFI does not firmly condemn the Hamas raid but speaks of a “armed offensive which takes place in a context of intensification of the Israeli occupation policy”. The Insoumis then deplored the Israeli and Palestinian deaths and called for an immediate ceasefire.
The text caused controversy and was reported several times to the national center for the fight against online hatred, which automatically implies the opening of an investigation. This is why Mathilde Panot will have to justify herself to the investigators. Only after his hearing by the police, the prosecution will decide whether or not to continue the procedure. But Maître Dousselin affirms that “we can already announce that none of his remarks can be classified as a criminal defense of terrorism”. She recalls that it is a “extremely serious offense”.
“Gagging political expressions”
Many of these reports were sent by the European Jewish Organization, an association which fights against anti-Semitism. She is “in the service of the government” Israeli, denounces the LFI coordinator, Manuel Bompard. If the association does not confirm to franceinfo that it is at the origin of the procedure against Mathilde Panot, it acknowledges having filed several complaints targeting rebels since October 7 for advocating terrorism and/or provoking racial hatred. Among these complaints in particular, that against Rima Hassan, also summoned by the police.
On X, Mathilde Panot criticizes “the serious exploitation of justice which aims, according to herto gag political expressions”. She insists that nothing will prevent her party from continuing to denounce, what the Insoumis call “a Palestinian genocide”. On the networks, an outcry from the Insoumis. The leader, Jean Luc Mélenchon speaks of a threat,‘”an unprecedented event in the history of our democracy”.
Support also from certain members of Nupes: environmentalists Sandrine Rousseau, Cyrielle Chatelain and Benjamin Lucas, for example. But also the socialist Philippe Brun. On X, he recalls being in political disagreement with the terms used on October 7 by the Insoumis, but judges “fou” to qualify them as an apology for terrorism. The leader of the rebellious deputies “could refuse to appear at this free hearing, but that is not the choice she made. She will appear before the courts.” The date is not yet known. It was scheduled for Thursday April 25 but was postponed to a date which has not yet been set.