France summons US ambassador over remarks on far-right activists death

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has stated that his government rejects any attempt to use Quentin Deranque’s death for political purposes. According to Barrot, US Ambassador Charles Kushner will be summoned to France over the US embassy’s recent comments on the killing of the far-right French activist in Lyon.

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs did not provide a specific date for Kushner’s summons. The killing of Deranque, 23, has sparked international attention due to its connection to the upcoming presidential election. President Emmanuel Macron called for calm during a march in Lyon organized by far-right groups to pay tribute to Deranque.

Deranque died from head injuries sustained during a demonstration against an appearance by a politician from the left-wing France Unbowed party in Lyon on February 12. The US Department of State’s undersecretary for public diplomacy, Sarah Rogers, described Deranque’s killing as “terrorism” and stated that it highlights the need to treat political violence harshly.

The incident has also led to a diplomatic dispute between France and Italy, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calling Deranque’s killing “a wound for all of Europe”. Macron criticized Meloni for commenting on French domestic affairs. Six men have been charged in connection with Deranque’s death, while a parliamentary assistant to a far-left MP has also been charged with complicity.

The US embassy in France shared a statement from the State Department’s bureau of counterterrorism, which described “violent radical leftism” as a threat to public safety.

Source: Al Jazeera