By Chris Menahan – Information Liberation
French President Emmanuel Macron touted France’s alleged deep commitment to freedom of expression on Monday after arresting Telegram founder Pavel Durov for not having enough moderation on his social media site.
Macron wrote on X:
I have seen false information regarding France following the arrest of Pavel Durov.
France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so.
In a state governed by the rule of law, freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights.
It is up to the judiciary, in full independence, to enforce the law.
The arrest of the president of Telegram on French soil took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation. It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter.
The French government unveiled a list of suspected charges they arrested him under on Monday, one of which is “providing cryptology services aiming to ensure confidentiality without certified declaration.”
Macron’s self-proclaimed commitment to free expression is laughable considering France arrested and criminally charged a woman last November at the demand of a Jewish MP for making fun of the hoax atrocity propaganda tale that “Hamas baked a baby in an oven” on October 7th.
She ended up getting criminally convicted for her joke in December with truth being no defense.
As the Jerusalem Post gleefully reported:
French model sentenced for mocking death of Israeli baby
The sentence came in response to a complaint filed by French-Jewish Member of Parliament Meir Habib.
By ZVIKA KLEIN | DECEMBER 6, 2023
French influencer and model Warda Anwar has been handed a 10-month suspended prison sentence following her derisive remarks about the murder of an Israeli baby, an act committed by Hamas. The sentence came in response to a complaint filed by French-Jewish Member of Parliament Meir Habib.
Habib expressed his satisfaction with the verdict, stating, “Justice has been served for the heinous mockery of the tragic murder of a Jewish baby. The laughter and enjoyment she exhibited in her video is now rightly replaced with accountability. This sentencing sends a clear message against terrorism and its sympathizers.”
The incident that led to Anwar’s arrest and subsequent sentencing involved a disturbing video where she made insensitive and controversial comments about a report of a Jewish baby allegedly burned alive by Hamas. Anwar, also known under the pseudonym ‘Haneia Nakei,’ sparked widespread outrage with her remarks.
In the video, Anwar is heard discussing the incident with a friend, off-camera but audible. “I’ll share my unfiltered thoughts,” Anwar said. “Whenever I hear this story about the baby put in the oven, I wonder if they added salt, pepper, maybe thyme? How did they cook him? What was served with him? Don’t you wonder?” Her friend responds with further distasteful remarks about possible side dishes, to which Anwar agrees.
[…] In his Twitter post, Habib condemned the act, equating it to Holocaust denial and stating, “This is a horror that recalls Nazi cruelty! A Jewish baby was murdered and placed in an oven in front of his parents by Hamas, and this sub-human finds it funny! It’s an inconceivable form of Holocaust denial in 2023!”Anwar’s sentence includes a 24-month probation period and a requirement to pay 9,000 Euros in damages.
The idea France has any commitment whatsoever to freedom of expression is laughable.
Durov was unquestionably arrested due to his free speech platform being a thorn in the side of our liberal world order. If they don’t release him after the 96 hour hold is over, it’s clear they’re holding him as a political prisoner and he’s the new Julian Assange.