Overview
- The hearing, opened on Tuesday, July 7, was renvoyé to October 19–20 after the defence asked for time to study many civil‑party submissions.
- Defence lawyer Vincent Brengarth argued the delay was needed to ensure the rights of the defence and said he will plead for acquittal on free‑speech grounds.
- Hundreds of people rallied outside the Tribunal correctionnel de Paris and more than 200 public figures signed a tribune supporting Hassan.
- The case follows a contested April 2 garde à vue that drew criticism after press leaks about drugs were disproved and prompted Hassan to file complaints for breaches of investigation secrecy.
- The parquet says multiple procedures have targeted Hassan, with 16 files closed (13 without further action) and six still open, a pattern that frames the affair as both a legal dispute and a flashpoint over enforcement of France’s law against glorifying terrorism.