France: Far-Right Website Threatens Nassira El Moaddem
Women Press Freedom condemns ongoing harassment of journalist, demands end to vicious and racist attacks perpetrated by the far-right
Location: France
Date: July 1, 2024Update: July 5, 2024
The escalating threats and harassment targeting Nassira El Moaddem, exemplified by a death threat issued on the far-right website Réseau Libre, are deeply concerning. Led by extremist factions, this campaign targeting the journalist seeks to intimidate and silence her. A recent rise in hate-driven rhetoric targeting journalists of color in France poses a serious safety risk. Women Press Freedom strongly denounces these attacks and urges the French government to swiftly respond with legal measures and enhanced protections for targeted journalists. We call for an urgent and thorough police investigation into the perpetrators behind the hateful content published on Réseau Libre. Those responsible for the violent threats against Nassira El Moaddem must be identified and held accountable. Considering the escalating threats she faces; Women Press Freedom expresses concerns for El Moaddem’s safety and implores French authorities to implement necessary safety measures and protection for El Moaddem upon her request.
Nassira El Moaddem, a journalist for Arrêt sur Images, was targeted with a death threat in an article published on the website Réseau Libre on July 1, 2024.
The article, titled "The suitcase or the coffin for Nassira El Moaddem!", referenced her tweet on June 30, 2024, criticizing the results of the first round of legislative elections in France. In response to her tweet, the article menacingly stated, "Choose, bitch: the suitcase or the coffin."
The persistent harassment of Nassira El Moaddem extends beyond the recent death threat. Over the past three months, Women Press Freedom has documented online harassment targeting the journalist, as well as a racist letter sent to her mother. The wave of online attacks intensified following a televised discussion on CNews, where El Moaddem’s comments on secularism were criticized by Julien Odoul of the National Rally party, prompting a barrage of hateful messages and threats.
Réseau Libre, a far-right website operating from Russia in 2015, has gained notoriety for publishing threats against journalists, lawyers, and politicians, often including personal details like addresses.
On October 3, 2023, the site called for the killing of 180 personalities, including press professionals, who were signatories of a platform to defend freedom of information. Reactions to the 2024 European and legislative elections in France were marked by further escalation. On July 3, 2024, after having made death threats against Mediapart journalists, the site published a list of 98 lawyers "to be eliminated," provoking numerous scandalized reactions. The lawyers were targeted because they were signatories of a platform against the National Rally.
Following the second round of the 2024 legislative elections, on July 8, the site published a text calling for the assassination of five new targets: four left-wing political figures, Alexis Corbière, Manuel Bompard, Ian Brossat, Rachel Keke, and a lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou.
These unprecedented threats led the Paris Bar Council to contact the prosecutor, then the Minister of Justice. An investigation, entrusted to the regional directorate of the Versailles judicial police, was opened on July 5 on charges of death threats and cyberbullying.
Recent revelations have linked the site to Joël Michel Sambuis, a French far-right activist residing in Russia for decades, previously associated with neo-Nazi groups and a former member of the far-right party the National Rally.
Women Press Freedom expresses grave concerns for Nassira El Moaddem's safety and calls for preventive measures to ensure her protection. The resurgence of violent rhetoric against journalists of color like El Moaddem shows the critical importance of combating far-right extremism to safeguard press freedom in France.
We call upon French authorities to take decisive action against Réseau Libre and other far-right extremist networks, dismantling them and prosecuting those responsible for threatening and harassing Nassira El Moaddem.
Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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