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Lawyers and journalists' unions call on the Paris prosecutor, in an open letter published on Wednesday, to "put an end to the judicial" proceedings against the authors of the investigation into the use of French weapons by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the war in Yemen.
"We are writing (...) solemnly asking you to put an end to the procedure which has already led to the hearing of the journalists for an alleged violation of the + secret-defense + concerning the sale by France of weapons used in Yemen, "says the letter to the prosecutor Remy Heitz and consulted by AFP.
Seven journalists from Disclose, Radio France and TMC's "Quotidien", who have been investigating this issue, were recently heard by the Internal Security Directorate (DGSI). Their convocations were denounced by about twenty NGOs and unions.
"The right to freedom of expression, as set out in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, includes the freedom to receive or impart information or ideas without the possibility of interference from public authorities ", continues the letter, published on the website of the daily Libération.
"This interference is manifestly characterized when journalists are heard when they merely exercise their mission to inform and they contribute to the right of access to information on a debate of general interest", write the signatories .
"How (...) could we (...) not anticipate the fact that they would necessarily be perceived as an initiative likely to restrict the freedom of information?", They question. "The fact that the DGSI (...) questions journalists is by nature likely to undermine the secrecy of the sources", "one of the cornerstones of the freedom of the press".
"In hollow, it is also the question of the resistance of the French authorities to accept a debate on what could constitute acts of complicity of war crimes in Yemen", commented Me William Bourdon, on the initiative of the letter.
Among the signatories are the vice-president of Paris Basile Ader and about fifteen lawyers, including Henri Leclerc, Marie Dosé and Antoine Comte.
The syndicate of lawyers of France (SAF), the unions of journalists SNJ, SNJ-CGT and CFDT as well as the Association of the judicial press also associated themselves.
The Minister of Justice, Nicole Belloubet, defended Tuesday in the Senate the principle of these summons, which intervene "within the framework of a judicial procedure" for "compromise of the national defense".
"Legally these elements are potentially a criminal offense," she said, adding that "this summons should in no way be read as an attempt to intimidate or threaten."
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
