The leader of the movement against the high cost of living in Martinique Rodrigue Petitot appeals his sentence to ten months in prison

The activist was sentenced to ten months in prison after calls to “attack” local elected officials. His lawyer believes that this conviction makes him “a prisoner of conscience”.

In Martinique, the leader of the movement against the high cost of living is appealing his sentence to ten months in prison, franceinfo has learned. Rodrigue Petitot was judged on Monday December 2 in Fort-de-France, after broadcasting several videos on the TikTok network. The activist called for “tackle” local elected officials who would not close their town halls in solidarity with the RPPRAC, named after the movement against the high cost of living. His lawyers denounce a political decision.

Rodrigue Petitot returned to the Ducos detention center, in central Martinique, where he had been incarcerated for several days. A sentencing judge will decide whether the activist can be released soon under an electronic bracelet. As soon as the judgment was announced, some of the activists from the movement against the high cost of living who surrounded the Fort-de-France court threw stones at the building, but the night remained generally calm on the island.

Monday, during the hearing, Rodrigue Petitot explained that his message on TikTok was misunderstood. “We are going to attack you”said the activist to the elected officials. “We are going to do a major cleaning, inside and out.”before qualifying his remarks a few days later, still on the networks. “When we talk about attacking, it means putting in place what is necessary so that real people are in your positions. The words may be aggressive, but not more aggressive than the prices that are in the supermarkets “he added.

“It seems to me that we are here in a political speech and that it did not require this procedure and even less a sentence of ten months' imprisonment. This is making Mr. Petitot a prisoner of conscience.”

Me Eddy Arneton

at franceinfo

It was the prefect of Martinique who took legal action in this case, citing comments “seditious” et “racialists”. The lawyer of Rodrigue Petitot, Me Eddy Arneton, believes that the on “wants to criminalize the leader of a citizen movement”. As a repeat offender, Rodrigue Petitot actually risked up to 20 years in prison.