Eliminate the offense of apologizing for terrorism and give rise to a controversy of which the political spectrum has the secret. A text tabled by LFI deputy from the North Ugo Bernalicis intends to remove this offense created by a 2014 law, believing that the latter accentuates “the instrumentalization of the fight against terrorism” against the “freedom of expression”. It has since attracted a series of condemnations emanating from the entire political world, central bloc, extreme right, up to the partners of the Socialist Party.
Against a backdrop of rising anti-Semitism, which part of the LFI is accused by its adversaries of fueling, and the conflict in the Middle East, the text from the person responsible for security issues within the rebellious movement judges that “the law of July 29, 1881 dealing with facts relating to the offenses of apologizing for a crime, apologizing for a war crime, apologizing for a crime against humanity”.
Pursuits in battle
In their bill, the rebels, who have suffered a number of prosecutions in their ranks and among their allies, ask “what democracy can still retain its name, when anti-terrorism methods are used to repress political activists, community activists, journalists or even trade unionists.” They cite the case of CGT leader of the North Jean-Paul Delescaut, sentenced to one year of suspended prison sentence at first instance – he appealed – for “apology of terrorism” via comments made in a leaflet supporting the Palestinians. It could be read: “The horrors of the illegal occupation have piled up. Since Saturday [7 octobre] they receive the responses they provoked,” without explicit condemnation of these terrorist attacks.
The LFI MP also mentions his group president, Mathilde Panot, and LFI MEP Rima Hassan, interviewed in April by the Parisian judicial police as part of investigations for “apology of terrorism”. The member for Val-de-Marne was heard about the press release published by her parliamentary group on October 7, 2023, in which the Hamas attack in Israel was described as “an armed offensive by Palestinian forces” in a “context of intensification of the Israeli occupation policy” of Palestinian territories.
“It’s hard to do more despicable,” immediately reacted the LR Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau, while his ally Gabriel Attal addressed the socialist, environmentalist and communist groups in a letter, asking them to “clearly dissociate” of LFI. “I remember that it was the Republican left who proposed and voted for this text in 2014 which protected the security of the French and therefore preserved their freedom. In full trial of the assassination of Samuel Paty, the proposed law of rebellious France is an insult and an indelible stain on those who carry it,” writes the president of the EPR group to the Assembly.
Marginalization of the defense of the Palestinians
Faced with criticism, rebellious leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon denounced “a new attack against LFI coming from the extreme right and slavishly taken up by the media-political officialdom”. “Rather than making films, read the text of the bill”, he said. An insufficient remark for Olivier Faure, who returned to the criticisms made by Jean-Luc Mélenchon towards Olaf Scholz, who announced his refusal to apply the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Benjamin Netanyahu. “I regret the German position which is not mine, but at the same time I do not submit [un texte] which purely and simply repeals the offense of advocating terrorism, the definition of which only needs to be clarified to avoid abuses. It is imperative to protect public freedoms but also to protect the French from fanaticism and calls for violence and hatred.”
Socialists avoid “to marginalize the defense of the Palestinians by not giving in to provocations and by refusing to consider anti-Semitism as “residual””, continued the boss of the PS, using a term used by Jean-Luc Mélenchon. And to accuse LFI of “divide” the “peace camp” and seek to “electorally exploiting the tragedy”.
“It is an insult to the memory of the victims of all the attacks which have bloodied France. Faced with terrorism, the Republic must remain firm and united. for its part estimated the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (Crif), which is holding its annual convention on Sunday.
