The key facts

  • The prosecution requests 10 months suspended and a two-year ban from public office for MEP Rima Hassan
  • The case concerns a deleted post on X from March 26 quoting Kozo Okamoto, a participant in the Lod Airport attack of May 30, 1972 (26 killed)
  • Hassan calls the case an attempt to intimidate and silence an opposition MP; the prosecution denies political motivation

Prosecution's demands

French prosecutors on Tuesday requested 10 months of suspended imprisonment and a two-year ban from holding public office for Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, broadcaster FranceInfo reports. The case is linked to a deleted post on the social network X in which Hassan quoted a participant in the 1972 attack. The prosecution qualified the publication as 'glorifying terrorism', stating that it 'trivialized' the attack and 'praised its perpetrator'.

The essence of the case

The post was published on X on March 26 and later deleted. In it, Hassan quoted Kozo Okamoto — a member of the Japanese Red Army who took part in the attack on Lod Airport near Tel Aviv on May 30, 1972. That attack killed 26 people and dozens were wounded.

Positions of the parties

The prosecution rejected Hassan's claim that the case was politically motivated, calling the alleged offence 'obvious' and denying that the prosecution was connected to her political views. Hassan herself, a member of the left-wing party La France Insoumise, characterized the case as an attempt to intimidate her and silence an opposition MP.

Course of the proceedings

The trial opened in Paris on Monday and continued on Tuesday. The court has not yet issued a ruling.