French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan to be tried for 'apology for terrorism'

French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan to be tried for 'apology for terrorism' Peter McNamara on Fri, 04/03/2026 - 10:37 The summons of the prominent politician over a post about Palestinian resistance has been criticised as 'political policing' French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan speaks with reporters after being released from police custody in Paris, on 2 April 2026 (Nassim Gomri/AFP) Off French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan, who was held in police custody for several hours in France on Thursday, will be tried in July for "apology for terrorism" due to a post on social media, the Paris prosecutor's office announced. The 33-year-old MEP for France Unbowed (La France Insoumise, LFI) was summoned after sharing an article about Kozo Okamoto, a former member of the Japanese Red Army who participated in an attack on Lod Airport in Israel in 1972 in the name of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), killing 26 passengers. Accompanied by Japanese and Palestinian flags, Hassan's post included a quote attributed to him: "Kozo Okamoto: I gave my youth to the Palestinian cause. As long as there is oppression, resistance will not only be a right, but a duty." The publication had been reported to the prosecutor's office by far-right National Rally MP Matthias Renault, the French interior minister, the European Jewish Organisation (OJE) and the League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism (LICRA). Hassan was released from police custody on Thursday evening and will be summoned to appear in court on 7 July to stand trial for "online apology for terrorism", the prosecutor's office said. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); After her release, Hassan published a post on X where she addressed reports of a small quantity of synthetic drugs being found on her bag. "Throughout the day, based on illegal leaks, I have had to endure accusations of possessing several drugs. These accusations are completely false: only CBD was found among my personal belongings, which is perfectly legal and which I use for medical purposes," she wrote. French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan in custody for 'apology for terrorism' Read More » Her detention sparked outrage within the ranks of LFI. Its leader and former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon accused on X "the political police" of placing her in custody over a retweet and not respecting her parliamentary immunity. In its statement, the Paris prosecutor's office said that it was not "necessary" to lift her immunity to place her in custody "within the framework of the preliminary investigation". Hassan is said to be implicated in six other ongoing cases. Thirteen other cases handled by the national unit for combating online hate speech were dismissed. Most concerned posts on X or other comments, reported by the OJE, other organisations, or members of parliament. The use by French judicial authorities of the “apology for terrorism” offence has been on the rise since October 2023, with hundreds of investigations launched into comments made about Israel's war on Gaza. A leading advocate for the Palestinian cause, Hassan twice boarded boats bound for Gaza to protest Israel's humanitarian blockade on the war-torn enclave. She was temporarily detained by Israeli forces after the ship was intercepted. France News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0