Ahead of her trial for „glorifying terrorism,” Rima Hassan told Middle East Eye (MEE) that extensive surveillance and pressure were being used to silence her solidarity with Palestine.
Written by: Pauline Ertel, Paris
Since her election in 2024, Rima Hassan has been cast as "the enemy within" in the eyes of the French political establishment: she has to endure a barrage of judicial, media and political pressure as an outspoken advocate for the Palestinian cause.
A French-Palestinian MEP is set to stand trial on Tuesday on charges of „glorifying terrorism” – a French legal category that criminalises forms of expression that allegedly support or portray terrorist acts in a positive light. On the eve of his trial, the MEP told Middle East Eye that it was all part of a coordinated campaign against him for speaking out for Palestine.
The lawsuit is the latest attempt to take legal action against Hassan for criticizing the Israeli occupation and genocide. In two years, 16 legal cases have been filed against him, 13 of which have been dismissed without further action. Hassan said he had been under intense judicial and political pressure in recent months and described disproportionate investigative measures, including violations of his parliamentary immunity, retrospective surveillance, and the dissemination of false information following his arrest in April.
„This practice is part of a political climate in which Palestinians, or those perceived as such, are too often treated as suspects before being treated as citizens,” the MP said.
On April 2, the MEP for „La France Insoumise” (LFI) was taken into police custody after sharing a quote on social media from Okamote Kozo, the Japanese militant convicted for his role in the 1972 Lodi airport attack that killed 26 people. Hassan’s team said the quote „referred to a principle at the heart of international law: the right of peoples to resist colonialism and occupation by foreign armies.” Hassan deleted the post to avoid any misunderstanding.
The post was reported by Matthias Renault, a representative of the far-right National Rally, the French Interior Minister, the European Jewish Organization (OJE), and the League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism (Licra).
Hassan’s team says the MP was detained for more than 13 hours on April 2, despite his parliamentary immunity. Since Hassan became the first French MEP of Palestinian origin when he was elected in June 2024, his team says the harassment is aimed at silencing and discrediting a political opponent. While in custody, Hassan says he was asked questions about his identity, origin and religion that were „in no way related to the alleged facts.”.
Through his lawyer, Hassan learned that „totally disproportionate” investigative resources had been mobilized against him: his phone was monitored retroactively from the beginning of the year, and his travels were reconstructed between January and March by requesting data from the SNCF and Thalys railway companies, as well as Air France and Europol.
„"Disinformation Operation"”
During his detention, false information was leaked to the press that he had drugs in his possession, violating the confidentiality of the investigation. The Chained Duck Justice Department spokesman Sacha Straub-Kahn was directly involved in spreading the false accusations, according to Hassan. It was a „real disinformation campaign” aimed at diverting the political debate and tarnishing his reputation.
„Reversal of responsibility”
The case against Hassan is part of a broader political offensive aimed at delegitimizing pro-Palestinian solidarity. According to Justice Department data, the number of „glorification of terrorism” charges tripled between October 2023 and November 2024 compared to the beginning of 2023.
Marc Trévidic, a former investigating judge in the Paris anti-terror unit, spoke of „the misuse of anti-terror laws.” Hassan’s legal team sees the case as an example of „reversal of responsibility”: „They are prosecuting those who report genocide, not those who commit it.”
„The aim of diverting the public debate to the courts is to make any criticism of the Israeli government’s policies politically costly. It is a way of silencing political voices rather than democratic responses,” said Hassan, who hopes to be found not guilty at his trial on July 7.
