two Earth Uprising activists, prosecuted for failure to appear before a commission of inquiry, were acquitted

They are two emblematic figures of the collective Les Soulèvements de la Terre. Léna Lazare and Basile Dutertre were acquitted by the Paris criminal court on Friday January 17. They were on trial for not having appeared before a parliamentary commission of inquiry relating to the clashes that occurred in Sainte-Soline (Deux-Sèvres) in 2023.

During the hearing in November, the prosecution requested four months of suspended prison time and a fine of 3,000 euros against Basile Dutertre, and two months of suspended prison time and a fine of 1,500 euros against Léna. Lazarus. He also asked for a ban on Mr. Dutertre's civil rights for two years, and for one year for Mr. Dutertre.^me Lazarus.

The only one present at the deliberations on Friday, the environmental activist greeted “very good news”. “Complaints that aim solely to criminalize environmental activists should simply stop”estimated Léna Lazare. At the trial, she exercised her right to silence, speaking only briefly about elements of her personality.

In its indictment, the public prosecutor considered that the two defendants had “was aware of the summons” which were addressed to them and which they had made “the claimed choice” not to show up. The court found that the summons of Basile Dutertre (a pseudonym) was not regular, and that he had thus been able to “consider that it did not apply to him”. Léna Lazare was notably released in the absence “intentional element”continued the court.

A “decision like a snub”

On May 10, 2023, a commission of inquiry was set up at the National Assembly, which looked into 73 demonstrations “punctuated with violence” over the previous months, mainly against pension reform, but also against the mega-basins project in Sainte-Soline.

Violent clashes broke out on March 25 during a banned demonstration near this water reserve under construction, patrolled by 3,000 gendarmes. These clashes left many injured, including two demonstrators who remained in a coma for several days.

Identified as the main spokespersons for the movement, the two defendants were summoned before this commission chaired by the deputy (Les Républicains) Patrick Hetzel. In a letter, they had indicated their refusal to attend, wishing to respond only in writing. Due to their failure to appear, an offense punishable by two years of imprisonment and a fine of 7,500 euros, Mr. Hetzel had contacted the Paris public prosecutor, an unprecedented procedure under the V^e Republic.

Raphaël Kempf, one of the two defense lawyers, welcomed a “decision as a snub by the judicial institution with regard to an attempt to exploit it by the political power, and in this case by the president of the commission of inquiry”. “It is very healthy for democracy that this file ends like this”added Matteo Bonaglia, another advisor to the activists. In November, they pleaded in favor of an acquittal of M^me Lazare and Mr. Dutertre.

In mid-December, the Sainte-Soline irrigation reserve, like three others, was declared illegal by the Bordeaux administrative court of appeal, because these basins threaten the survival of a protected species of bird, the little bustard.