French-Palestinian member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan from the left party La France Insoumise (LFI) was detained and questioned by the police on Thursday, April 2, on allegations of supporting terrorism. The allegations are based on a social media post by Hassan that included a quote by Japanese Red Army member Kōzō Okamoto stating that “as long as oppression exists, resistance will not only be a right, but a duty.”
“This marks a new low in the judicial harassment aimed at silencing those who defend the rights of the Palestinian people,” sources close to the MEP said of the most recent police action.
The questioning was accompanied by allegations in the media that the parliamentarian was found in possession of illegal drugs – allegations that were unfounded and that both Hassan and LFI figures announced they would take action against. They warned that such defamations offer additional proof of a harmful trend among state institutions and conservative media, that continue to engage in smear campaigns against the left.
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Hassan has been a prominent voice of solidarity with Palestine throughout the genocide in Gaza, often speaking out against France’s and Europe’s failure to act to stop Israeli war crimes. She also participated in the Freedom Flotilla in July 2025 and sailed aboard the Madleen which was carrying essential supplies for the besieged population in Gaza. As has been the case with all of the recent flotilla efforts, the activists aboard Madleen were assaulted and kidnapped by Israeli forces while en route to Gaza.
In response to her activism, she has been subjected to numerous slander campaigns and attacks, including calls by right-wing forces to strip her of French citizenship. Recently, Hassan was prevented from entering Canada after reported pressure by pro-Israel groups.
Her comrades from LFI and The Left in the European Parliament denounced Thursday’s events, contextualizing them in the overall repression of pro-Palestine advocacy in the region. “While we scrutinize tweets expressing solidarity with Palestine, Israeli war crimes remain largely unpunished,” Workers’ Party of Belgium’s MEP Marc Botenga wrote. “Across Europe, solidarity with Palestine is increasingly being suppressed. This is an alarming trend.”
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In France, the action taken against Hassan has also been interpreted as a preview of what is to follow if the Yadan bill, currently under consideration in parliament, is passed. “This arrest came the day after the Israeli Knesset passed a law establishing the death penalty for Palestinians, and just days before the National Assembly debates the infamous Yadan bill,” LFI’s media outlet L’Insoummision wrote. “In France, Benjamin Netanyahu’s supporters are counting on this law to silence all those speaking out against genocide and Netanyahu’s wars.”
Under the pretext of countering antisemitism, the legislation would limit free speech and reduce space for criticism, left forces warn. “Concretely, contextualizing October 7, referring to the right of resistance under international law, or analyzing colonial violence could become criminally punishable,” Hassan posted in late March.
“The real objective of this law is not to fight antisemitism, but to restrict criticism of Israel by granting special protection to it,” she also warned. “Defending the rights of the Palestinian people means refusing to place a state above the law. This law could constitute a new infringement on freedom of expression and directly threaten historical research as well as the freedom of public debate.”
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