Journalist Ariane Lavrilleux was released Wednesday evening after 48 hours in police custody as part of an investigation into her articles concerning a possible hijacking by Egypt of a French intelligence operation. An extremely rare coercive measure which outraged the profession.
2 mins
“ I am free, thank you very much for your support », wrote our colleague on X (formerly Twitter) and in three languages on Wednesday evening, a message accompanied by a photo of a raised fist in front of an Egyptian flag. His lawyer, Virginie Marquet, confirmed to AFP his release around 9 p.m., while a source close to the investigation indicated that his custody was “ lifting “. A former soldier, also detained since Tuesday, was going to be presented to a magistrate with a view to possible prosecution.
“ It’s okay, she’s very combative », welcomed to AFP Magali Serre, president of Disclose, media which published its article at the end of 2021. Disclose had affirmed in an article published in November 2021 that the French intelligence mission “Sirli”, which began in February 2016 for the benefit of Cairo in the name of the fight against terrorism, had been diverted by the Egyptian state which used the information collected to carry out air strikes on vehicles of suspected smugglers, on the Egyptian-Libyan border.
Read alsoFrench military aid diverted in Egypt: journalist Ariane Lavrilleux placed in police custody
Following this publication, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces filed a complaint for “ violation of national defense secrecy “. A preliminary investigation was opened in November 2021 before an investigating judge was appointed in the summer of 2022, according to Disclose. No judicial source was able to confirm these elements on Wednesday evening.
Disclose clarified on Wednesday, on X, that according to its information, “ DGSI investigators accuse (the) journalist of having signed five articles on French arms sales abroad, published in the media since 2019 “. In addition to the one relating to the “Sirli” operation, Disclose cites articles relating to “ the sale of 30 Rafale planes to Egypt “, “ weapons delivered to Russia until 2020 »“ the sale of 150 000 shells to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ” And “ the illicit transfer of arms from the UAE to Libya “.
Since Tuesday morning, the announcement of her custody has sparked a growing flow of support for the journalist, such as that from Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders. “ There is a form of escalation in the means implemented (to obtain information on journalists’ sources), which itself is worrying », Also estimated Paul Coppin, from RSF.
During a gathering convened late this Wednesday afternoon at Place de la République in Paris, the president of Disclose estimated that the State was warning journalists by this measure: “ If you investigate state secrets, you risk ending up like Ariane Lavrilleux, in police custody “.
While journalist Ariane Lavrilleux is in police custody and her home has been searched, the government remains silent.
Questioned by Mediapart, its spokesperson, Olivier Véran, preferred to avoid the question. 👉 https://t.co/m2H6rQkUij pic.twitter.com/FrTqTEViLd
— Mediapart (@Mediapart) September 20, 2023
(with AFP)
Read alsoFrance: rally in Marseille in support of arrested journalist Ariane Lavrilleux