Decision Wednesday on the “censorship” of an investigation by the investigative site

Edwy Plenel said he was “disappointed”. Mediapart will know on Wednesday whether or not he can publish his latest investigation into the mayor of Saint-Etienne, still subject to a legal ban described as unprecedented “censorship” by the site and journalists’ organizations, following a audience Friday in Paris. The investigative media demanded that the Paris court retract an order from the same body, issued urgently on November 18 at the request of the mayor of Saint-Etienne, Gaël Perdriau. But the magistrate Violette Baty, at the origin of the ordinance, put the case under advisement and the decision will be rendered Wednesday at 3 p.m.

“Hope that this fundamental freedom is restored”

“We are deeply disappointed” indicated to AFP the director of Mediapart, Edwy Plenel, leaving the courtroom. “It took a few minutes a week ago for the president of the Paris court to carry out an unprecedented attack on the freedom of the press and there, after three hours of pleadings (…) it will be necessary after a week of prior censorship another five days to wait and hope that this fundamental freedom will be restored. “We wanted to get a firm decision tonight that puts justice back on track, because clearly it went completely off the rails a week ago,” he added.

The order challenged by Mediapart prohibits him from publishing new information on the political practices of the elected representative from Saint-Etienne, after his previous revelations of alleged blackmail on intimate video. This decision was taken without giving the media the possibility of defending itself, reminded the lawyers of the site as well as organizations for the defense of freedom of the press (Reporters without borders, International Federation of Journalists, League of Human Rights ) and journalists’ unions (SNJ, SNJ-CGT, CFDT journalists) who came to support him. “We will continue” to respect it, said Edwy Plenel, giving “an appointment to the whole public” on Wednesday.

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