The Minister of Justice, Didier Migaud, said on Monday that he was “extremely shocked” and “resolutely against” the proposed LFI law aimed at removing from the penal code the offense of advocating terrorism, which has sparked heated controversy.
“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 Mr. Migaud on the set of France 2.
“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,” continued the minister regarding the text carried by the LFI deputy from the North Ugo Bernalicis and his colleagues from France insoumise.
“From the moment the apology allows us to justify and excuse, to find extenuating circumstances for a terrorist act, it is unacceptable,” said the Minister of Justice, affirming that this must “be fought with the greatest force” .
The text proposed by LFI wants to remove the offense of apologizing for terrorism created by a 2014 law, considering that in this matter “the law of July 29, 1881 dealing with facts relating to the offenses of apologizing for crime, apologia of war crimes, of apologizing for crimes against humanity”.
The offense of advocating terrorism was removed from the 1881 law to be included in the penal code in 2014.
LFI wants to “put” this offense “in the right place” in the law by removing it from the penal code, argued Sunday the boss of LFI deputies, Mathilde Panot.
The first secretary of the PS Olivier Faure, for his part, criticized the proposed LFI law, believing that it was “imperative to protect public freedoms but also to protect the French from fanaticism and calls for violence and hatred”.
The condemnations of this bill were added on Saturday among the Macronists and on the right.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau on Sunday deemed the LFI proposal “unspeakable” and considered that the left must “dissociate” itself from LFI.
“The socialists? I understood that they would oppose,” Mr. Migaud replied on Monday when asked about the group’s position.