Didier Migaud says he is “resolutely against” the deletion proposal made by LFI

While the announcement of the tabling of a bill from La France insoumise (LFI) aimed at removing from the penal code the offense of advocating terrorism sparked a lively political controversy during the weekend, the Minister of Justice , Didier Migaud, said to himself “extremely shocked” et “resolutely against”Monday November 25.

“I don’t understand how we can let our guard down in the face of the threat of terrorism, which is very present today”declared the Keeper of the Seals on the France 2 set. Before continuing: “It is despicable, it must be fought with the greatest force (…). Freedom of expression has never allowed everything, there are limits to this freedom of expression. »

“From the moment the apology allows us to justify and excuse, to find mitigating circumstances for a terrorist act, it is unacceptable”declared Mr. Migaud, affirming that this should “to be fought with the greatest force”.

Strong criticism and distancing from the PS

The text, tabled by the deputy of the North Ugo Bernalicis and his colleagues from the LFI group, wants to eliminate this offense, considering that in this matter sufficient “the law of July 29, 1881 dealing with facts relating to the offenses of apologizing for crime, apologizing for war crimes, apologizing for crimes against humanity”. “Which democracy can still retain its name when anti-terrorism methods are used to repress political activists, community activists, journalists, or even trade unionists”we can read in the explanatory memorandum.

The offense of advocating terrorism was removed from the 1881 law to be included in the penal code in 2014. La France insoumise wants ” to put back “ this crime “in the right place” in the law by removing it from the penal code, argued Sunday the head of the LFI deputies, Mathilde Panot.

The condemnations of this bill were added up on Saturday, among the Macronists and on the right. The Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, judged on Sunday “unspeakable” the LFI proposal, believing that the left should “dissociate” of the movement led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

The first secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, for his part, criticized the bill from his partner in the New Popular Front, believing that it was “imperative to protect public freedoms, but also to protect the French from fanaticism and calls for violence and hatred”. “Socialists? I understood that they would object”argued Didier Migaud on Monday, when he was questioned about their position.

To explain the LFI proposal, Mr. Bernalicis cites the case of Jean-Paul Delescaut, general secretary of the departmental union of the CGT du Nord, sentenced to one year in prison suspended at first instance – he appealed – for “apology of terrorism” following comments made in a leaflet supporting the Palestinians. “The horrors of the illegal occupation have piled up. Since Saturday [7 octobre 2023, date de l’attaque du Hamas en Israël]they receive the responses they provoked”could we read in the leaflet.

The LFI deputy also mentions his group president, Mathilde Panot, and the “rebellious” MEP Rima Hassan, who were heard in April by the Parisian judicial police as part of investigations for “apology of terrorism”. M^me Panot was questioned regarding the statement published by her 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” in the Palestinian territories.