French MEP Rima Hassan Faces Trial for Glorifying Terrorism

French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan is facing trial for allegedly glorifying terrorism, a charge stemming from a social media post on March 26. The post, which Hassan has since deleted, quoted Kozo Okamoto, a Japanese member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) involved in the 1972 Lod Airport massacre, stating, "As long as there is oppression, resistance is not only a right but a duty." Okamoto, who died in Beirut in July, was convicted in Israel for his role in the attack that killed 26 people and injured dozens, serving three life sentences before being released in a 1985 prisoner exchange. Hassan, who represents the far-left LFI movement founded by Jean-Luc Mélenchon and has been an MEP since 2024, apparently views Okamoto as a role model for resistance against Israel. Following complaints from France's Interior Minister and Jewish organizations, prosecutors launched an investigation into Hassan for glorifying terrorism. She was briefly detained and questioned in early April. Her lawyer, Vincent Brengarth, claims the prosecution is politically motivated and aims to silence a dissenting voice. Hassan has filed a complaint against Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez for allegedly violating investigation secrecy. Nuñez was questioned about this last week. The trial, initially scheduled for July, was postponed and is now set to take place in Paris on Monday and Tuesday. This legal challenge could result in a prison sentence and the loss of Hassan's passive voting rights and her seat in the European Parliament. The article also references a previous incident where Hassan visited an exhibition on the October 7th Hamas attacks in Strasbourg, knocking over an Israeli flag and a European flag, an act sharply condemned by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. Hassan appeared in court wearing sunglasses and a keffiyeh draped over her shoulder.