Jean-Luc Mélenchon was sentenced this Tuesday, January 11, to a suspended fine of €500 and €3,000 in damages by the Paris Criminal Court for public insult and defamation against Radio France.
Indeed, the candidate of La France Insoumise for the 2022 presidential election had described journalists from Radio France as “idiots” and “liars” following an investigation by the investigative unit into his 2017 presidential campaign, where they were investigating suspicions of overbilling.
Following this decision, his lawyer Me Mathieu Davy announced that he would appeal.
He stated he was “surprised by such a severe decision considering the freedom of expression that a politician, a party leader, should enjoy regarding his campaign accounts”. He added: “We will go to appeal because we believe that the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights will support this freedom of expression”.
As for Me Sabrina Goldman, the lawyer for Radio France, she considers that the insults were purely gratuitous attacks that exceeded the limits of freedom of expression, and that in this way, the decision is “very satisfying for all journalists, as it acknowledges that Jean-Luc Mélenchon could not call to hatred against Radio France journalists with impunity”. According to her, the court “has ultimately upheld the right to freedom to inform”.
