The leader of La France insoumise was accused of insinuating that a former journalist from Le Monde, Paulo Paranagua, was responsible for the death of an activist against the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
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Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of rebellious France, was sentenced for defamation against a former journalist from Le Monde by the Paris Court of Appeal on Wednesday June 29.
The facts date back to February 2018: at the time, the former presidential candidate had posted a message on Facebook about an ex-militant against the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990), who had been arrested and then tortured. His message was aimed at a former journalist from Le Monde, Pablo Paranagua: “It was Paolo Paranagua who swung it? Solidarity with the victims of Latino dictators”had then written Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
The criminal court had not recognized that these comments were defamatory in the first instance. But in the judgment consulted by AFP, the court of appeal this time indicated that “these remarks, even expressed in doubtful form with a question mark at the end of the disputed sentence, nevertheless clearly insinuate that Paulo Paranagua could have contributed to making this political activist a victim of the dictators”. Paulo Paranagua’s lawyer, Vincent Tolédano, denounced to AFP accusations without “no kind of basis” and “totally imaginary”.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon was ordered to pay a symbolic euro in damages to the journalist specializing in Latin America, and he will also have to compensate the victim up to 2,000 euros for legal costs. The leader of La France insoumise did not appear before the judge.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon is also the subject of another complaint from Paulo Paranagua, whom he described as“repentant assassin” on his blog “The era of the people” in 2016. Sentenced at first instance, Mr. Mélenchon’s lawyers appealed the judgment.