Paris (France) (AFP) – Five United Nations special rapporteurs have expressed their “deep concerns” regarding the Franco-Palestinian LFI MEP Rima Hassan, targeted by several procedures which “seem to demonstrate judicial and political harassment” against her, according to a letter consulted Monday by AFP.
Published on: 08/31/2026 - 5:57 p.m. Modified on: 08/31/2026 - 8:41 p.m.
These rapporteurs, mandated by the Human Rights Council but who do not speak on behalf of the UN, were contacted by Rima Hassan, who is to be tried in October in Paris for advocating terrorism, and her counsel.
Responsible in particular for freedom of expression or the protection of fundamental freedoms in the fight against terrorism, they sent requests to the French government at the end of June regarding the "numerous prosecutions" initiated against her.
They say they fear "that these measures constitute political and judicial harassment against Ms. Hassan and are part of a growing trend of repression by the French authorities of voices defending the rights of the Palestinian people."
“Without wishing to prejudge the accuracy of (this) information”, they express their “deep concerns”, fearing “violations of several human rights”, including the rights to privacy, freedom of expression or non-discrimination.
The French government had until the end of August to respond to the special rapporteurs before this letter was posted online.
This communication from the rapporteurs "gives credence to the concerns regarding the judicial harassment to which Rima Hassan is subject", declared her lawyer, Me Vincent Brengarth, to AFP, denouncing a "criminalization and restriction of freedom of expression" of voices in favor of the Palestinians in France.
In a press release, La France insoumise also judges that this questioning of the United Nations special rapporteurs "is a major political warning about the regression of the rule of law in France and the instrumentalization of justice for the purposes of repressing political debate."
“We therefore call on the government to respond to the concerns expressed and to stop misusing anti-terrorism legislation to hinder democratic debate, the exercise of an elective mandate or the defense of the right to self-determination of peoples,” writes Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s party.
Rima Hassan is due to appear on October 19 and 20 for advocating terrorism. Justice accuses her of a post published on her X account at the end of March in which she mentioned the Japanese Kōzō Okamoto, one of the perpetrators of the attack at Tel Aviv airport in 1972, which killed 26 people. This tweet, subsequently deleted, was reported to the prosecution by the Minister of the Interior, then by the European Jewish Organization (EJO) and Licra.
His placement in police custody on April 2 had a strong political and media impact. Ms. Hassan denounces in particular leaks in the press which had reported the presence of synthetic drugs in her bag, which the investigation had subsequently denied, and the exploitation of geolocation data from her phone by the police.
Last spring, the Paris prosecutor's office reported 16 procedures concerning the elected official closed by the national center for the fight against online hatred, including 13 closed without further action, without counting 6 procedures in progress.
© 2026 AFP
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