The appeal trial of the identities who had invaded the construction site of the Poitiers mosque on October 2, 2012 is likely to come to an end. Five far-right activists were sentenced to suspended prison terms, fines and deprivation of civil rights on December 7, 2017. The charge of incitement to racial hatred is subject to a statute of limitations a year. One year from December 7, 2017. And there would have been no proceedings for one year. An error by the public prosecutor’s office which is causing disorder in this particularly publicized case.
In fact, the hearing only focused on the facts of degradations. The Advocate General requested a six-month suspended prison sentence and the obligation to compensate the civil parties against four of the five defendants, the fifth who was prosecuted for complicity should be acquitted. Defense lawyers pleaded for release.
Five years after the facts, identity activists had been tried in Poitiers
Five people had been convicted of acts of provocation to national, racial, religious discrimination by words, writings, images or means of communication to the public by electronic means and by degrading property of others, committed in meeting, on December 7, 2017 in Poitiers. The five identity activists had appealed, the case was to be re-examined last January, but because of the lawyers’ strike, it had been postponed until May 20.
Damien Rieu appears “proudly”
Damien Rieu that we see here in the company of Clément Gandelin, the president of identity generation was the only one to appear, he wanted to place the debate on the supposed links between the imam of Poitiers and Qatar. However, during their arrest, the activists had mainly announced the creation of their movement and the choice of date, which commemorated the victory of Charles Martell over the Moors.
In one video message posted on twitter on May 19, Damien Rieu returned to the action carried out at the Poitiers mosque. He speaks of a demonstration “like Greenpeace” and poses as a “whistleblower”. He explains his state of mind before going to the Poitiers courthouse: “It is therefore proud that this Wednesday I will again defend myself against the Islamist Muslim Brothers who threaten our country.”
The judgment should be known at the end of Wednesday.
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