Laurent Nunez allegedly unfold a false story about left-wing lawmaker Rima Hassan whereas she was in custody over a social media publish
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez is underneath fireplace over allegations that he helped gasoline a false drug story about MEP and distinguished pro-Palestine activist Rima Hassan whereas she was in custody over a social media publish.
Hassan’s left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI), or France Unbowed occasion, has demanded that Nunez resign after a France 2 investigation launched Wednesday alleged he leaked a false story to reporters about medication purportedly present in Hassan’s belongings by police.
The drug was later recognized as authorized CBD (cannabidiol) merchandise and the probe was dropped, prompting LFI to accuse Nunez of media “manipulation” and fueling a false story.
What precisely occurred?
The case dates again to April, when Hassan was summoned to Paris police headquarters over a since-deleted social media publish quoting Kozo Okamoto. Okamoto, a member of the Japanese Red Army, was convicted over the 1972 Lod Airport assault in Tel Aviv, carried out on behalf of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which killed 26 individuals.
The French-Palestinian MEP and distinguished pro-Palestinian activist was positioned in custody on suspicion of on-line “apology for terrorism,” an offense punishable by as much as seven years in jail.
During a list of her belongings, police discovered two containers, one holding a brown substance and one other containing white crystals. Hassan stated each had been CBD merchandise legally purchased in Brussels and used for medical causes.
A preliminary police check indicated the white substance contained artificial cathinones related to unlawful medication. Before laboratory outcomes had been obtainable – and whereas Hassan was nonetheless in custody – stories that artificial medication had been discovered amongst her belongings started circulating within the media.
The Paris prosecutor’s workplace subsequently opened an investigation into her suspected drug use, transport, and possession. However, laboratory exams later established that the substances had been CBD, and the investigation was dropped.
Now, in line with “Complement d’enquete,” Nunez himself allegedly helped gasoline the story.
What did Nunez inform reporters?
The program says Nunez was returning by prepare from an official journey to Bordeaux when reporters approached him and requested off digital camera whether or not medication had been present in Hassan’s bag.
“He told us: ‘It’s possible that it’s true.’ Then he told us it was a synthetic ‘stuff,’ and that the second product was a cocaine derivative,” one journalist recalled.
Another stated Nunez relayed Hassan’s rationalization that she had purchased the substances in Belgium believing they had been authorized. Yet one other reporter on the prepare subsequently instructed his newsroom, based mostly on Nunez’s account, that “synthetic drugs derived from cocaine” had been discovered amongst Hassan’s belongings.
Nunez initially agreed to an interview with France 2 earlier than withdrawing and didn’t reply written questions. His workplace instructed AFP that “the reported exchange took place during an off-the-record discussion with the media,” initiated by journalists about data that had already been revealed.
Meanwhile, Nunez publicly lamented the leaks the next day.
“I also regret that there have been leaks; I understand that there were some leaks before the prosecutor’s office spoke out,” he instructed BFMTV.
France Unbowed calls for Nunez’s resignation
Following the newest revelations, LFIdemandedNunez step down, accusing the federal government of media “manipulation” towards a political opponent.
“The disclosure of information protected by the confidentiality of judicial proceedings and its subsequent exploitation by the media are incompatible with the principles of the rule of law,” the occasion stated in an announcement, including: “La France Insoumise is calling for his resignation.”
LFI founder Jean-Luc Melenchon went additional,writingon X: “A manipulative minister manipulates unscrupulous journalists with neither scruples nor professional conscience. Hours of slander.” He accused these concerned of appearing underneath the affect of “hatred of Palestinians and support for genocide.”
LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard additionally attacked Nunez over the obvious contradiction between the alleged personal change and his subsequent public feedback.
“It is not normal for a minister of the interior to violate the law, to contribute to the dissemination of information protected by investigative secrecy, especially when he himself then goes on television to say that he regrets these leaks,” Bompard instructed France Inter.
Hassan additionally demanded Nunez resign.
“Thiscrasspolitical manipulation has gone on long enough. He must draw the consequences and resign!” she wrote on X, portraying the episode as a part of a wider marketing campaign towards her. “Gagprocedures, surveillance measures, phone geolocation, false information about an alleged possession of narcotics, spread by the Minister of the Interior in person… How far will this go? What will the next step be?”
The Paris Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into breaches of investigative confidentiality, whereas Hassan and her lawyer, Vincent Brengarth, filed a criticism over the disclosure of protected data. Brengarth has additionally known as for Nunez to be questioned by a choose “as soon as possible.”
What’s behind the Nunez-Hassan conflict?
The granddaughter of displaced Palestinians, Hassan was born in a refugee camp in Aleppo and got here to France as a toddler. She has since emerged as certainly one of France’s most distinguished pro-Palestinian political figures, campaigning to droop the EU-Israel Association Agreement, urgent the Palestinian difficulty within the European Parliament and becoming a member of Gaza-bound humanitarianflotillas.
Her activism, nevertheless, has put her on the middle of repeated authorized and police scrutiny in France. By mid-2026, Hassan had confronted greater than 20 authorized proceedings and quite a few police summonses, a lot of which had been dropped or dismissed – one thing her supporters cite as proof that the instances are getting used to intimidate her and injury her repute.
Tensions with the French authorities escalated over her social media publish quoting Okamoto. Investigative stories revealed that police had tracked Hassan’s telephone location and obtained detailed rail and air journey data, together with actions predating the formal investigation. Hassan challenged the surveillance which she described as “politico-judicial harassment” in a privateness criticism.
Her activism has additionally introduced confrontations overseas. Hassan has accused Israeli forces of bodily mistreating her after detaining her throughout Gaza-bound humanitarian missions, together with following the interception of the Madleen at sea in June 2025.
Nunez, in the meantime, defended the French investigation into Hassan, arguing that “apologizing for terrorism is a very serious offense.” He additionally insisted there was “no witch hunt” towards her. Hassan and LFI see it otherwise, accusing the federal government of stretching anti-terrorism legal guidelines to criminalize political speech and suppress pro-Palestinian activism. They have characterised the string of proceedings as politically motivated “legal warfare.”
Is France anti-Palestine?
President Emmanuel Macron’s authorities helps a two-state answer and has turn out to be more and more essential of Israeli insurance policies of late, whereas backing the Palestinian Authority and calling for Hamas, which France classifies as a terrorist group, to be excluded from governing Gaza and disarmed.
At residence, nevertheless, French authorities have taken a far harder strategy to pro-Palestinian rhetoric deemed to cross authorized boundaries. In 2014, France moved the offense of “apology for terrorism” (apologie du terrorisme) from its press legislation into the Penal Code, giving prosecutors better scope to pursue people accused of defending or praising terrorist acts. Under this authorized framework, French authorities have pursued a variety of high-profile figures over controversial speech, together with right-wing commentator Eric Zemmour, distinguished Islamologist Francois Burgat, and pro-Palestinian activist Mahdieh Esfandiari.
LFI argues these powers are being disproportionately used towards opposition politicians and pro-Palestinian activists. Its National Assembly chief, Mathilde Panot, stated in April that underneath Macron, “the criminalization of political opponents has reached a new level.”
Hassan’s trial for alleged “apology for terrorism,” initially scheduled for July, was postponed at her protection’s request and is now due in October.
Update
Nunez rejected his function within the incident involving Hassan on Thursday, telling a National Assembly listening to that he had “not organized any leaks.” He acknowledged discussing Hassan’s case with reporters off the file, however once more insisted they already had the knowledge and had approached him for remark.
“I didn’t organize any leaks,” he repeated, saying he had as a substitute “urged caution” through the change.
Commenting on X, Bompardseizedon the admission, accusing Nunez of confirming data protected by investigative secrecy and calling it a “very serious violation of the law,” whereas renewing calls for for his resignation.
(RT.com)