(RSF/IFEX) – According to information made available by RSF on 3 July 1998, and as reported by them on 30 June 1998, on the morning of 30 June, journalist Gilles Millet, correspondent for the weekly “L’Evenement du Jeudi,” was arrested at his home by police officers from the national anti-terrorist division of the judicial police […]
(RSF/IFEX) – According to information made available by RSF on 3 July 1998,
and as reported by them on 30 June 1998, on the morning of 30 June,
journalist Gilles Millet, correspondent for the weekly “L’Evenement du
Jeudi,” was arrested at his home by police officers from the national
anti-terrorist division of the judicial police and held for questioning.
Millet’s home was searched, while several documents and address books
belonging to the journalist were confiscated by the officers. Millet is the
Corsica specialist for “L’Evenement du Jeudi” and he recently participated
in a television program on the subject. On 1 July 1998, while still being
held for questioning, Millet was charged with “obtaining documents that
are part of a judicial investigation.” He was only released at 3:00 p.m.
(local time) the following day, after 57 hours of detention.
**This alert updates IFEX alert of 30 June 1998**
On 30 June, police also attended at the home of Pierre-Jean Luccioni,
assistant editor-in-chief of the television chain FR3-Corse. The journalist
was not there, but the police searched his home and confiscated notes and
documents related to his work. Luccioni went to the Bastia police station
that afternoon, where he gave a statement for several hours to the
magistrates of the anti-terrorist division. He was released that evening.
On 30 June 1998, Pascal Richard, editor-in-chief of the program “Etats
d’urgence” (State of Emergency) on the television network France 3, also gave
a statement to police. On 3 June 1998, the journalist was involved in a
program about Corsica.
The three journalists gave statements to the rogatory commission of Judge
Jean-Louis Bruguiere with regard to the inquiry into the assassination
of the Corsican chief of police, which took place on 4 February 1998.
RSF is concerned about the questioning of these journalists and the seizure
of their work notes and documents. According to RSF, these measures are a
violation of the right of journalists to freely inform and to protect their
sources. Article 109 of the French Penal Code stipulates in paragraph 2
that “all journalists, understood to be witnesses to information collected in
the exercise of their professional activities, are free to refrain from
revealing the origin.”
RSF asks the Minister of Justice to take measures to redefine the
application and dispositions of Article 109 in order to better protect
journalists in the exercise of their profession. In the current state of
Article 109, as long as a journalist is no longer seen as a witness, but
is held for questioning, as in the case of Gilles Millet, he loses his rights
as a journalist. The European Human Rights Court has, on numerous
occasions, brought the insufficiencies of Article 109 to the attention of the
French authorities.
With regard to the accusations of “obtaining documents” against Gilles
Millet, RSF considers that there cannot be investigative journalism worthy
of its name with “obtaining” documents covered by judicial investigation.
This practice, used by all investigative journalists, is equally necessary
to the right to inform and be informed.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
of the questioning and arrest of Gilles Millet
in order to better protect journalists in the exercise of their profession
Appeals To
Mrs. Elisabeth GIGO
Justice Minister
Fax: +33 (0)1 44 77 60 40
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
