Creteil (AFP)

The trial of journalist Taha Bouhafs for "outrage" and "rebellion" against a police officer, whom he himself accuses of violence during his arrest in June 2019 on the sidelines of a demonstration of undocumented migrants, was returned Friday for the third time on March 10.

At the hearing, counsel for Taha Bouhafs filed before the Criminal Court of Créteil a Priority Constitutionality Question (QPC) on "the breach of equality between a police officer and those who may be victims of police violence" which would be caused by the "link" between the prosecution and the police, told the bar Me Arié Alimi.

This QPC, which he hopes to see transmitted to the Court of Cassation and then to the Constitutional Council, was put under advisement on March 10.

If it is rejected by the court, the lawsuit can be examined on the merits immediately.

"Is it normal that a journalist finds himself in court? Is this situation serious in France? I do not believe it", he pleaded, considering "that it is necessary to bring back equality otherwise it is democracy that falls ".

On June 11, 2019, Taha Bouhafs was arrested while filming a demonstration of undocumented workers in front of the Chronopost company in Alfortville (Val-de-Marne) for the online media Là-bas si j'y suis.

Placed in police custody in the wake of "contempt and rebellion", the journalist, who denies the facts, had also filed a complaint for "violence" by a person holding public authority: he accuses a police officer of having disliked him. shoulder.

In a video of the arrest posted by Taha Bouhafs on Twitter in July, the journalist and a police officer can be heard shouting at each other.

"Do you take yourself for a cowboy?! (...) Do you think you are above the law ?!", continues Mr. Bouhafs, before continuing: "You play scum, eh".

- "Is that what you say, that I am a scum? (...) Be careful what you do", warns the policeman.

Heard on report the same day, the police officer had accused Mr. Bouhafs of having twice called him "cop scum", according to elements known to AFP.

In a separate case, Taha Bouhafs is placed under the status of assisted witness, intermediate between the indictment and the status of simple witness, after reporting on Twitter the presence of Emmanuel Macron at the Bouffes du Nord theater in January latest.

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