France faces criticism over restrictions on support for Palestinians

France under fire for curbing expressions of solidarity with Palestinians, Amnesty International reports

France is facing criticism over its recent restrictions on expressions of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, Amnesty International reported.

According to the statement by Amnesty’s local branch, recent weeks have seen a series of limitations imposed on public displays of solidarity, alongside the cancelation or prohibition of events. Individuals also face accusations of disseminating “terrorist propaganda.”

Amnesty cited one such instance: the banning of a scheduled conference on Palestine organized by the Free Palestine Association in the city of Lille earlier this month.

The French authorities justified the ban, citing concerns over “terrorist propaganda,” a move condemned by rights advocates as an attempt to stifle legitimate discourse on the Palestinian cause.

Top French far-left MP summoned by police over accusing Israel of genocide

Amid these developments, Mathilde Panot, a senior member of Parliament for France’s La France Insoumise (LFI) party known for her vocal support for Palestine, revealed that she had been summoned for questioning on charges of “terrorist propaganda.”

The LFI – which is now France’s strongest political force on the left – has, in turn, lashed out at what it sees as an erosion of free speech and accused Israel of committing “genocide” against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Panot said it was the first time in the history of modern France that a head of a parliamentary faction “was summoned on such serious grounds”.

“I am warning about this serious exploitation of justice aimed at suppressing political expression,” she said.

Source: Newsroom

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