- 'The use of prolonged surveillance methods targeting a political opponent is extremely concerning,' Rima Hassan tells Anadolu
French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan has accused French authorities of deliberately attempting to circumvent her parliamentary immunity in order to place her in custody, in a case linked to an investigation into alleged "apology for terrorism" related to social media posts.
The French-Palestinian lawmaker was arrested earlier in April in France and briefly taken into police custody over a social media post on the US social media platform X.
The post, made in March 2026, referred to a 1972 attack at Israel's Lod Airport and included a quote from one of the attackers, which authorities said could be interpreted as an "apology for terrorism."
The publication was reportedly referred to prosecutors by the French interior minister, and later by the European Jewish Organization and LICRA.
She was detained for questioning, then released the same day, and later formally summoned to appear in court on July 7 as part of the ongoing case.
In written remarks provided to Anadolu, Hassan said the legal proceedings against her are part of what she described as a broader "politico-judicial harassment" campaign that began two years ago.
She stated that she has already been questioned by police on three separate occasions over similar complaints before the most recent custody measure, all connected to tweets considered by investigators as potentially constituting an apology or glorification of terrorism.
Hassan subjected to extensive surveillance
According to the recent investigation carried out by online newspaper Mediapart, following the opening of an investigation at the end of March into alleged glorification of terrorism, Hassan was subjected to extensive surveillance by officers from the Paris judicial police's 2nd district.
Investigators allegedly monitored her mobile phone to trace her movements over several months, starting from Jan. 1, including periods prior to the formal opening of the investigation, the report said.
The report claims that police methods included geolocation tracking and detailed reconstruction of her travel history, in some cases identifying cities and even streets she crossed.
The investigative outlet further alleged that authorities requisitioned data from transport operators, including France's national railway company SNCF and international rail service Thalys, and also sought information from her telephone operator in order to map her movements and contacts.
Hassan noted that during earlier summonses she chose not to invoke her parliamentary immunity, although she could have done so, saying she deliberately refrained "out of solidarity with French citizens" who, according to her, are also being criminalized for expressing support for Palestine.
However, she said the most recent developments marked a turning point in the case.
"Regarding the role of EU institutions, I believe a line has been crossed. This time, the French authorities deliberately sought to circumvent my parliamentary immunity in order to place me in custody," Hassan said.
"Moreover, the use of prolonged surveillance methods targeting a political opponent is extremely concerning and resembles practices associated with police states," she added.
She argued that the scope and intensity of the measures taken against her went beyond what would be expected in a standard investigation.
'Affront to European Parliament'
Hassan’s team echoed these concerns, stating that measures such as geolocation of her phone, long-term tracking of her movements over several months and the consultation of various transport and administrative databases were reportedly used.
They argued that such methods would normally require strict justification and safeguards, particularly given her status as an elected Member of the European Parliament.
Her office added that these practices raised serious questions regarding proportionality, privacy rights, and the protection of democratic functions.
Hassan also referred to the role of EU institutions in the matter, stating that she believes institutional safeguards have been undermined.
She said the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, had, at the time of her custody, formally requested explanations from French authorities regarding the circumstances of her detention, particularly concerning what she described as the use of the "flagrante delicto" procedure in a way that may have been intended to bypass her parliamentary immunity.
To date, Hassan noted, France has not provided a public response to the European Parliament's request for clarification.
"This is an affront not only to the president, but also to the European Parliament as an institution, and more broadly to the democratic safeguards that protect the freedom of expression of Members of the European Parliament," she said.
"I therefore expect a firm response from the president, whose role is precisely to uphold the integrity of the institution in which we were elected to represent European citizens," the French lawmaker added.
Hassan added that she intends to continue pursuing all available legal and institutional avenues to shed full light on the circumstances of the case and to defend her rights, as well as what she described as the rights of citizens who are "unjustly targeted for their opinions."
"All necessary avenues will be considered to ensure that these practices are acknowledged and sanctioned, including at the level of EU institutions if necessary," she said.
