The 6 rural representatives of Ariège were definitively acquitted by the Court of Cassation.
After six years of legal battles, justice definitively ruled in favor of the six Ariège rural representatives prosecuted as part of the trial linked to the counter-demonstration of La Bastide-de-Sérou. The appeal by the public prosecutor and environmental associations was rejected, confirming their acquittal pronounced by the Toulouse Court of Appeal.
A long legal battle
The case dates back to 2018, when six environmental associations filed a lawsuit against six representatives and rural organizations from Ariège, accusing them of obstructing the freedom to demonstrate. At first instance, the Foix Court severely sentenced the defendants to suspended prison sentences and significant fines, totaling several tens of thousands of euros.
Faced with this judgment deemed unfair, the defendants appealed. In 2019, the Toulouse Court of Appeal acquitted them in full, finding that the video evidence contradicted the accusations made by the associations. “This decision highlighted the disproportionate nature of the prosecutions, calling into question the credibility of the complainants. Despite this, the prosecution and environmental associations had decided to bring the case before the Court of Cassation in a final attempt to convict the rural representatives,” explain Rémi Toulis, Philippe Lacube, Clémence Biard, Jean-Luc Fernandez, Jean- Pierre Mirouze and Cédric Munoz in a press release.
A clear and final legal victory
Today, the Court of Cassation declared the appeal “disallowed”, thus confirming the decision of the Toulouse Court of Appeal. “This unambiguous wording means that the acquittal is definitive, and that the case is definitively closed.”
The accused welcome this decision as a victory for freedom of expression and the defense of rural Ariège. They also denounce the lawsuits initiated by environmental associations as a strategic maneuver aimed at hindering their fundamental rights and creating a legal precedent.
Broad local support
During this ordeal, the accused benefited from significant support from residents, elected officials, breeders, hunters, unions, associations and local authorities. “This solidarity was essential to get through this long legal battle.”
Environmental associations rejected
The six complainant associations, whose approach has been definitively rejected, are:
The Association for the Protection of Ariège Rivers (Apra le Chabot)
The Association for the Protection of Wild Animals (Aspas)
The Ariège Ecological Committee
France Nature Environment Midi-Pyrénées
The Ferus Association
The Democracy Association in Mirepoix (Dame)
This affair marks a turning point in the sometimes tense relations between rural actors and environmental movements. The rural representatives, now acquitted, hope that this verdict will encourage more dialogue and understanding between the parties rather than unnecessary legal confrontations.
In Ariège, this decision is seen as recognition of the right to freedom of expression and demonstration for rural stakeholders, reminding that these fundamental values remain protected, even in the most polarized contexts.
