France

(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is a press release by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), which is an IFJ affiliate: August 1st 2002 European Journalists Protest Against French Police Attack on Journalists The European Federation of Journalists today condemned the “unjustified and brutal attacks” of French police officers on a German film team during an […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has expressed its serious concern further to the French government’s introduction of a bill concerning the general direction and programme planning of internal security (Loi d’orientation et de programmation sur la sécurité intérieure, LOPSI). The National Assembly adopted the bill at the first reading on 17 July 2002. It outlines the present […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF welcomes the dismissal of a lawsuit against French radio journalist Daniel Mermet and his boss, Jean-Marie Cavada, head of the Radio France network, by a Paris court on 12 July 2002. The judge said the allegations of “incitement to racial hatred” and “racial slander” against Mermet, and by extension Cavada, were unfounded, […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Minutes from tapped telephone exchanges published by the newspaper “Le Monde” have proven that Laïd Sammari, a journalist with the newspaper “l’Est républicain”, was placed under telephone surveillance in 2002, following the request of a judge from the French National Anti-Terrorist Service (Division nationale de lutte antiterroriste, DNAT). In 2000 and 2001, six […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 25 June 2002, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) condemned France for violating Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, pertaining to freedom of expression and the right to inform. The newspaper “Le Monde” had appealed to the Strasbourg-based court after the Paris Appeals Court had found the daily […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Daniel Mermet, a journalist and on-air radio host with France Inter radio station, appeared before the Paris Correctional Tribunal on 31 May 2002 after a lawsuit was launched against him for broadcasting anti-semitic remarks. The lawsuit was brought against the journalist by the Jewish Students’ Union of France (Union des étudiants juifs de […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 28 May 2002, RSF protested the very heavy fine imposed on Philippe Brunet-Leconte, publication director of French monthly magazine “Objectifs Rhône-Alpes”, and assistant editor-in-chief Loïc Tanant. They were ordered to immediately pay a total of 182,000 euros (approx. US$169,500) in libel damages by a court in the southern French city of St.Etienne. […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has condemned the physical assault on a Canal+ television crew by security guards of the right-wing National Front party on 26 April 2002. The organisation warned that press freedom would be threatened if the party came to power. Journalist John-Paul Lepers was roughed up and technical assistant Yacine Ben Jannette was forcibly […]

(RSF/IFEX) – The following is a 16 April 2002 RSF press release: Freedom of the press in France: appeal to the candidates In recent years, French courts have handed down a number of rulings that are particularly harmful to press freedom. They now frequently give priority to confidentiality of the preliminary examination of a case, […]

(IPI/IFEX) – In a 20 March 2002 letter to Minister of Culture and Communications Catherine Tasca, IPI expressed its deep concern over attempts to prevent the distribution in France of free daily newspapers. According to information before IPI, copies of “20 Minutes” were stolen and dumped in the street on 15 March by French print […]

(RSF/IFEX) – The following is a 15 March 2002 RSF press release: Radio France journalists and editors charged over satirical sketch about Corsicans Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said today it was astonished and concerned about the charging of five journalists and editors of Radio France for “racist insults” and “complicity” because of a satirical programme […]

(RSF/IFEX) – The following is a 1 March 2002 RSF press release: Conflict over the distribution of free daily Metro Reporters Sans Frontières is concerned about the drastic means that have been implemented to prevent the distribution of the free daily Metro in Paris and Marseilles since 18 February 2002. Regardless of the economic, industrial […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF deplores the increase in recent months of decisions and practices by French legal authorities that seriously undermine the right to freely publish information. RSF’s stand follows revelations by the French daily “Le Monde” on 30 January 2002 that six journalists’ phones were tapped in 2000 and 2001 as part of an investigation […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has denounced the French courts’ systematic calling into question of journalists’ right to research and publish their information. The organisation’s protest coincides with the current trial of Hubert Levet, a journalist and managing editor of the financial daily “Agefi” (Agence économique et financière). Levet is being tried before the Paris Magistrates’ Court […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a 13 November 2001 letter to Minister of the Interior Daniel Vaillant, RSF protested the confiscation by police of videotaped images filmed by Zaléa TV journalist Ivora Cuzak. The incident took place on 8 November, during a police operation involving the expulsion of families who were occupying a sports complex in la […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a 13 November 2001 letter to Dominique Baudis, president of the Audio-visual Upper Council (Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel, CSA), RSF expressed its concern about the CSA’s recent recommendations concerning the handling of information about the conflict in Afghanistan, and its recent reminder to the Qatar-based news channel Al-Jazeera of its responsibilities. “The […]