Born on December 15, 1944 in Paris to a gypsy worker father engaged in the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War and a school guardian mother, Jean-Claude Lefort spent his childhood and youth in Bagnolet, in Seine. -St Denis. In the 1960s, he became a member of the national office of the Young Communist Movement of France then joined the French Communist Party (PCF) in 1964, which he left in 2024.
From 1971 to 1979, he was the private secretary of Georges Marchais, leader of the PCF. He became secretary of the Val-de-Marne federation of the PCF in 1983, then communist deputy for the 10th constituency of Val-de-Marne from 1988 to 2007. Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly, he is committed to the recognition of the French share of responsibility in the genocide perpetrated in Rwanda. In memory of the fight against fascism in Spain, he was founding co-president of the Association of Friends of Fighters in Republican Spain (Acer), with José Fort and François Asensi.
In 2009, he was elected president of the France-Palestine Solidarity Association (AFPS) and became the coordinator of the national support committee for the Franco-Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri, honorary citizen of Vitry.
“All his life, Jean-Claude was an activist, a communist and a tireless anti-colonialist,” declares the AFPS office. We will remember his complete humanity, his intelligence and his smile as well as his often salutary rants… The Palestinian people have just lost one of their most faithful friends.”
On December 7, 2011, Jean-Claude Lefort was decorated with the insignia of knight of the Legion of Honor by the resistance fighter Cécile Rol-Tanguy Chevalier. He died of cancer on June 19, 2024 at the age of 79.
“Jean-Claude Lefort had a long life of internationalist and anti-fascist commitment behind him,” declares the Human Rights League. We will miss him in the battles that lie ahead.”
The mayor of Ivry-sur-Seine, Philippe Bouyssou, and the municipality are organizing a ceremony in tribute to Jean-Claude Lefort on Saturday June 29 at 10:30 a.m. on the square in front of the town hall of Ivry-sur-Seine (esplanade Georges -Marrano).
No flowers
An urn will be available to donate to Dunya Women’s Cancer Center (West Bank).
Registers of condolences present on site
