We learned Thursday that Benoit Quennedey was cleared of the 2018 "treason" charge. He was a French Senate official who was suspected of spying on North Korea.
According to the same source that confirmed information from Parisian, the investigating judges dropped the charges on April 29. At the end of 2021, the public prosecutor also requested dismissal.
Benoit Quennedey was indicted for "treason through the delivery of information to an foreign power" as well as "intelligence with another foreign power" in November 2018. The judicial supervision included the prohibition from exercising his profession.
Investigators are investigating whether he actually gave confidential information to the Pyongyang government.
"Justice exonerated Mr. Quennedey. The anti-terrorism judges had dismissed the case in this case worthy a bad series espionage. His lawyer Florian Lastelle said that the treason was merely an interest of an intelligent, curious mind for regimes or populations treated with extraordinary automatism without studying them.
"Mr. Quennedey is restored to his honor, his profession and his work. He will never again find the serenity and joy of almost four years of being robbed by the violation of presumption-of-innocence." He added, regretting that the Senate had "subjected to media pressure" by suspending Quennedey's client, a senior official with no history.
This man, in his 40s, a graduate of Sciences Po Paris, and an ex-student of ENA, has published many books about North Korea including an essay on the economy under the Pyongyang regime. Since 2003, he had been in the Senate administration.
His "reinstatement" was confirmed by the Senate.
