Paris (AFP)
Newspapers, magazines, television channels and radio stations: nearly a hundred media published an open letter on Wednesday calling on the French to mobilize in favor of freedom of expression, in support of Charlie Hebdo, which is the subject of new threats .
The satirical weekly decided to republish the cartoons of Muhammad who had made him a target of jihadists, on the eve of the opening of the trial of the attack which had decimated its editorial staff in January 2015.
A reissue hailed by some, but which has earned it new threats, in particular from the jihadist organization Al-Qaeda, and has been condemned by some Muslim countries.
"Following the republication of the Muhammad cartoons on September 2, 2020, Charlie Hebdo is once again threatened by terrorist organizations. Threats which constitute a real provocation in the midst of the trial of the January 2015 attacks. Threats which go well to- beyond Charlie since they also target all the media and even the President of the Republic, "deplores Riss the director of Charlie Hebdo, in a statement to AFP.
"It seemed necessary to us to suggest to the media to reflect on the collective response which deserved to be given to this situation", he explains.
This mobilization resulted in an open letter, which made the front page of the satirical weekly this Wednesday, and appeared in the pages and on the websites of the signatory media, including the national and regional press, the main television channels. , weeklies and radios.
"Thanks to a historic mobilization of the French media, by publishing all together this letter to our fellow citizens today, we wish to send a powerful message to defend our conception of freedom of expression but, well beyond, of freedom of all French citizens ", indicates Riss, inviting" all the media which would wish to publish this letter ".
- "Joining forces" -
“Today, in 2020, some of you are threatened with death on social networks when you expose singular opinions. Media are openly designated as targets by international terrorist organizations. States exert pressure on French journalists + guilty + of having published critical articles ", we can read in this text entitled" Together, let's defend Liberty ".
Quoting the Declaration of Human Rights of 1789, the text deplores that "it is the entire legal structure developed over more than two centuries to protect your freedom of expression which is under attack, as never for 75 years. And this times by new totalitarian ideologies, sometimes claiming to be inspired by religious texts ".
"We need you. Your mobilization. The bulwark of your conscience. The enemies of freedom must understand that we are all together their resolute adversaries, whatever our differences of opinion or beliefs", call the signatories.
"Citizens, local elected officials, political leaders, journalists, activists of all parties and all associations, more than ever in this uncertain time, we must join forces to drive out fear and make our indestructible love for Freedom triumph", they conclude.
The twelve drawings reproduced by Charlie were originally published by the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten on September 30, 2005, then taken up by the satirical weekly in 2006. They show in particular the prophet wearing a bomb instead of a turban, or as a character armed with a knife flanked by two women veiled in black.
While the trial of the attack which left 12 people dead on January 7, 2015 is held until November 10, Charlie Hebdo's human resources director, Marika Bret, assured earlier this week that she had to be exfiltrated from his home because of threats considered serious.
In an interview with Le Point, she denounced "an incredible level of hatred around Charlie Hebdo".
© 2020 AFP