MEP Rima Hassan detained in Paris over terror glorification probe
The case, led by France’s online hate crime unit, focuses on a deleted X post in which she referenced a member of the Japanese Red Army linked to the 1972 Lod Airport attack that killed 26 people
Rima Hassan was taken into police custody in Paris on Thursday morning over allegations of “glorification of terrorism,” according to Le Parisien, as part of an investigation led by France’s National Unit for Combating Online Hate (PNLH).
Authorities say the case centers on a post published on March 26 on X (formerly Twitter), in which Hassan referenced Kōzō Okamoto, a member of the Japanese Red Army involved in the 1972 Lod Airport attack in Israel that killed 26 people. The post has since been deleted.
According to sources cited in French media, Hassan was questioned after being summoned to the Second Judicial Police District headquarters in Paris as part of the ongoing inquiry.
The investigation comes amid repeated controversy surrounding the MEP’s public statements and online activity. In a previous case in December 2024, a complaint was filed against her over posts referring to “Palestinian armed resistance,” which she rejected as politically motivated accusations.
French authorities are now examining whether the comments in question fall under protected free speech or constitute a criminal offense under French law related to the glorification of terrorism.
No charges have been filed at this stage, and the investigation remains ongoing as police assess the context and intent behind the statements.