French Police Take European Parliament Member Rima Hassan into Custody

French MP Detained on Suspicion of Apology for Terrorism

European Parliament member Rima Hassan was detained in France on suspicion of making an “apology for terrorism”. The detention is reportedly related to a social media post that referenced Kozo Okamoto, who participated in a deadly attack at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport in 1972. Hassan had deleted the post from her X account.

Hassan, a French-Palestinian lawyer and activist, was elected to the European Parliament in 2024. She has been a prominent critic of Israel’s actions against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Her advocacy has drawn criticism from pro-Israel groups and figures in France and other countries.

According to reports, Hassan was detained after a retweet from last month was linked to her case. A small amount of synthetic drugs was also found on her person when she was taken into police custody. Hassan’s lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Lawmakers from Hassan’s La France Insoumise party condemned the detention, stating that it aims to intimidate Palestine supporters. Jean-Luc Melenchon, the founder of LFI, described the situation as “intolerable”. Other officials from the party expressed concern over the use of the French justice system to target political opponents.

The incident has sparked controversy in France, with some politicians welcoming Hassan’s detention and others condemning it. The case is ongoing, and no further information is available at this time.

Source: Al Jazeera