In a letter to Laurent Fabius, President of the Constitutional Council, published Thursday on social networks, the deputy of Pyrénées-Atlantique even says he is ready to "answer for (his) act and to pay the possible consequences provided for by law: penalty prison, withdrawal of my civil rights, fines...", as long as the Council lifts its sanctions against the Bearn village of which he was mayor for four decades.
By announcing on Wednesday the cancellation of the votes of Lourdios-Ichère, the Constitutional Council had indeed said that it was considering "possible criminal proceedings".
For her part, the prosecutor of Pau announced Thursday afternoon the opening of a criminal investigation against Jean Lassalle.
He is being prosecuted for "violations of the electoral code concerning attacks on the sincerity of the ballots", declared to AFP Cécile Gensac.
The code provides for a fine of 15,000 euros, a sentence of up to one year's imprisonment as well as additional penalties such as ineligibility and prohibition of the right to vote.
The investigations "have been entrusted to the commander of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques gendarmerie group", continued the prosecutor.
Jean Lassalle, who had won more than a million votes and 3.13% of the votes during the first round under the label of his Résistons! movement, had mimed in front of the ballot box in the 2nd round the gesture of the vote before slipping his "white ballot" in his pocket, declaring himself "abstentionist at the ballot box".
He then posted on social networks the video, filmed by his son, of what he calls "one of the most important acts" of his life.
© 2022 AFP