Jean-Luc Mélenchon was sentenced for public insult and defamation against Radio France, AFP said on Tuesday afternoon. In 2018, the leader of rebellious France and presidential candidate attacked journalists from the public radio investigation unit who were investigating suspicions of overbilling during the 2017 presidential campaign. Jean-Luc Mélenchon had dealt with the journalists of “morons” and “liars”.
The leader of rebellious France and presidential candidate next April was sentenced to a suspended fine of 500 euros and will have to pay 3,000 euros in damages to Radio France.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon will appeal
His lawyer, Me Matthieu Davy, said he would appeal this decision. “We are astonished at such a harsh decision against the freedom of expression of a political leader,” he said.
In detail, Jean-Luc Mélenchon was prosecuted by Radio France for comments made in a video posted on his Facebook profile on October 19, 2018, after the broadcast the same day on franceinfo of a part of an investigation by the cell investigation on her communications advisor, Sophia Chikirou, director of the consulting company Mediascop. That day, the latter was heard in police custody as part of an investigation by the Paris prosecutor’s office on suspicion of overbilling for this campaign.
“Perfect synchronization” denounced by Mélenchon
Three days earlier, searches had been carried out, in particular at the home of Jean-Luc Mélenchon. In his video, Jean-Luc Mélenchon had castigated “a perfect synchronization” according to him between the police, the justice, the Elysee and the media and estimated to be the subject of a “shelling”.
“Franceinfo journalists are liars, are cheaters,” he said. “They look what they are, which is morons. Rotten them wherever you can, ”he also said.
During the hearing on November 10 in front of the 17th chamber of the Paris Criminal Court, Jacques Monin, director of the investigation unit of Radio France, cited as a witness, recounted the “lively emotion” caused by this statement among journalists, considering that these remarks had contributed to fuel “mistrust” vis-à-vis the press.
He explained that the publication date of the investigation had been scheduled two months earlier, and not in reaction to the searches and police custody of Ms. Chikirou.
“It is a very satisfactory decision not only for Radio France, but for all journalists”, welcomed Tuesday Me Sabrina Goldman, lawyer of the public radio. “It recognizes that Jean-Luc Mélenchon could not with impunity call for hatred and enshrined the right to freedom to inform”.