Basketball player and former ambassador for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Emily Gomez (French)
French media reported that Paris opened an investigation into basketball player and former ambassador for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Emily Gomez, against the backdrop of a post on her Instagram account in which she expressed her support for the liberation of Palestine and her rejection of the Israeli occupation and its war on the Gaza Strip.
The French newspaper L'Equipe said, "A hearing is scheduled to be held next week for Gomez's statements regarding the charges against her."
Lawyers Vincent Bringarth and William Burdon denounced the procedure against their client Gomez and said, “This summons is truly astonishing and completely imaginary. Ms. Gomez explained several times at length what happened, and apologized for misunderstanding what she wrote, but there is an insistence on turning the matter into a criminal offense.”
According to what the French newspaper published on Friday, February 2, the two lawyers added, “What more is required? Gomez is facing real cruelty that is not only inexplicable, but is generally harmful to the cause of combating racism and anti-Semitism. We ask what evidence was suddenly found.” "To listen to Ms. Gomez unnecessarily. This happens when justice is sorely lacking."
The post of French player Emily Gomez on Instagram, which caused a stir in France (social networking sites)
Emily Gomez briefly published a post on her Instagram account, showing a map of France in 1947, 1967, and 2023, two days after the Hamas movement launched the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation against Israel on October 7, 2023, with the French flag replaced by the Israeli flag. Asking the question: “What would you do in this situation?”
The publication refers to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, including West Jerusalem, in 1947, and its expansion of its seizure of Palestinian lands in 1967 by annexing East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, from which it withdrew in 2005. Then Israel launched its war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.
In her post, Gomez aims to ask a question: What if Israel occupied French territory in stages, as it did in Palestine, would Paris have been silent? Or would she have resisted the occupation as the Palestinians do?
The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office indicated, “A complaint was filed on December 8, 2023 by the National Office for Vigilance against Anti-Semitism, following Gomez’s Instagram post, and the investigation was assigned to the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, dated December 14, 2023.” According to the newspaper "L'Equipe".
On January 10, she was heard with her lawyer by the Paris Olympic Committee, and Gomez apologized for the misunderstanding, explaining that she condemns the attacks of October 7, and any form of anti-Semitism or discrimination that conflicts with her values.
Emily Gomez is a player born on October 18, 1983, of Senegalese origin. She played for the French club Hino Basket and the Turkish club Fenerbahce. She wears the number 4, and represented the French national team in 194 matches.
With the French national team, Gomez won the silver medal at the Summer Olympics in London in 2012. She also played in the Women's European Basketball Championship in 2013 and the Women's Basketball World Championship in 2014.
She was chosen for the role of ambassador for the Paris 2024 Olympics in November 2021, before resigning from the position on January 10, following the campaign of criticism directed at her because of the post.
Source: Al Jazeera + French press + social networking sites