Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credits: Henrique Campos / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 6:04 p.m., March 28, 2024

The CGT departmental secretary of the North appeared this Thursday before the Lille judicial court for “public apology for an act of terrorism”. Just before, the general secretary of the CGT Sophie Binet and the LFI manager Jean-Luc Mélenchon, met with 300 people to support him.

Around 300 people, including the general secretary of the CGT Sophie Binet and the LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, gathered Thursday in front of the Lille court to support a trade unionist tried for "apology of terrorism" after a controversial leaflet in support of the Palestinians . The arrest at the end of October 2023 of this trade unionist, the CGT departmental secretary of the North Jean-Paul Delescaut, aroused the indignation of political figures on the left.

“We are all-Jean-Paul,” chanted demonstrators, most of them equipped with vests and flags in the red colors of the CGT. Jean-Paul Delescaut was placed in police custody for a morning after the publication of a leaflet calling for a demonstration in support of the Palestinians in Lille, distributed by the CGT on October 10, three days after the bloody Hamas attack against Israel.

The trade unionist risks up to five years of imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros

One sentence is particularly called into question: "the horrors of the illegal occupation (Israeli, editor's note) have accumulated. Since Saturday (October 7, editor's note) they have received the responses they provoked." Jean-Paul Delescaut was to appear Thursday afternoon before the Lille judicial court for “public apology for an act of terrorism”. He risks up to five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros.

“This leaflet says that violence leads to violence. But at no time does this leaflet say that violence is legitimate,” Sophie Binet said on Thursday. “This leaflet condemns violence and affirms the solidarity of the CGT with all civilian victims,” she added, stressing that her union had “always fought for the right of people to self-determination.” determination". The coordinator of the CGT du Nord, Hamid Chebout, said in October that Jean-Paul Delescaut had been arrested by “around ten police officers”, including “seven hooded ones”.