The leader of the “rebellious” deputies, Mathilde Panot, announced on Tuesday April 23 that she would be summoned by the police as part of an investigation for advocating terrorism opened following a press release from her parliamentary group published on October 7, 2023, the day of Hamas's attack on Israel.
“This is the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic that the president of an opposition group in the National Assembly has been summoned for such a serious reason,” assured the elected official in a press release.
On October 7, the group La France insoumise published a text which sparked controversy, because it notably drew a parallel between the Hamas attack, described as “an armed offensive by Palestinian forces” and “the intensification of the policy of 'Israeli occupation' in the Palestinian territories.
Rima Hassan already summoned by the police
“No summons, no intimidation of any kind will prevent us from protesting against the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people,” she said. On X, Ms. Panot called “everyone to become aware of the extent of the alarming attacks against freedom of opinion and democracy.”
This news comes four days after the candidate for the European elections Rima Hassan, seventh on Manon Aubry's list, also announced her summons by the judicial police for advocating terrorism. “I believe I have nothing to reproach myself for, having always expressed myself critically both towards Hamas and its terrorist modus operandi, but also [towards] Israel,” she reacted to AFP on Friday. .
La France insoumise denounces an instrumentalization of justice, ensuring that it is made to pay for its support for the Palestinians and its use of the term “genocide” to describe the situation in Gaza. Last week, two conferences by Jean-Luc Mélenchon on the situation in the Middle East were canceled in Lille, first at the university then in a private room. “A banana republic abuse of power,” the leader of the “rebellious” had lambasted.
