Overview
- Prosecutors said Hassan, who was held for several hours in Paris on Thursday, will face trial on July 7, 2026 on an online charge known in France as “apology for terrorism.”
- The charge stems from a March 26 post on X that quoted Kōzō Okamoto, convicted for a 1972 attack at Israel’s Lod/Ben Gurion Airport that killed 26 people.
- Investigators reported finding CBD and a substance suspected to be the synthetic drug 3‑MMC in her belongings, while Hassan said she carried only legally purchased CBD for medical use.
- Leaders of her France Unbowed party called the detention judicial harassment and a breach of MEP immunity, as prosecutors said police may hold lawmakers for flagrant offenses without a formal immunity lift and the European Parliament noted it is in contact with authorities.
- French authorities have widened use of the speech offense since late 2023, which can bring up to seven years in prison and a €100,000 fine, and prosecutors say other complaints against Hassan remain under investigation as many earlier ones were dropped.