Paris (AFP)
Convened Wednesday by the DGSI in the context of an investigation for "revelation of the identity of a member of the special forces", the journalist Monde Ariane Chemin argued the protection of sources and challenged any "fault".
As part of a free hearing, Ariane Chemin was heard by the General Directorate of Homeland Security (DGSI) for about three quarters of an hour, in the presence of her lawyer.
"I explained to them that I had only done my job as a journalist and I argued section 2 of the 1881 Act," which states that "the secrecy of the sources of journalists is protected in the exercise of their mission of informing the public, "she told AFP.
"They asked me a lot of questions about how I checked my information, an indirect way to question my sources," she said.
Between the hearing protocol and the questions, "everything is done to convince you that you have committed a serious fault, which we formally contest," continued the reporter, summoned for articles on the affairs of Alexander Benalla - a case she revealed - and notably "on the profile of a non-commissioned officer of the air force, Chokri Wakrim, a companion of the former head of Matignon's security".
In a press release posted on Twitter, the society of the editors of the World declared itself "in solidarity with its colleague Ariane Chemin (...). It brought to the attention of the citizens information of public interest, thus doing only his work".
The SNJ-CGT had called for a rally in front of the headquarters of the DGSI Wednesday in support "to all journalists convened by the French state, in violation of the law on freedom of the press and for the freedom of the press. inform".
The chairman of the executive board of the newspaper Le Monde Louis Dreyfus was also heard by the DGSI on Wednesday morning.
These convocations come after those of seven other journalists from the site Disclose, Radio France and the show "Quotidien" TMC, having in common to have investigated the use of French weapons in Yemen.
They have raised a wave of protests from journalists and politicians, who see it as an infringement of the right to inform.
Questioned Tuesday in the Senate, the Minister of Justice Nicole Belloubet confirmed that the summons of Mrs. Chemin was "intervened in the framework of a preliminary investigation placed under the control of the public prosecutor of Paris.It was opened as a result the filing of a complaint of a member of the special forces whose identity had been revealed by this newspaper ".
"Such a summons does not prejudge in any way the possibility of prosecution that could be directed against these journalists, it will be up to the only public prosecutor to judge the follow-up," she said, assuring that it should "in no way be seen as an attempt to intimidate or threaten".
? 2019 AFP