The founder of the ‘De Nice a Gaza’ (From Nice to Gaza) organization was handed a three-year prison sentence, with two years suspended and one year served under an electronic bracelet.
A French court has sentenced a nursing student to three years in prison for “glorifying terrorism” on social media, according to broadcaster France 3, cited by various news reports.
Amira Zaiter, from the southern city of Nice, was arrested on September 19 for allegedly “promoting terrorism, glorifying crimes against humanity, and spreading hate speech online,” as per the channel,” the channel said.
A French court has sentenced Amira Zaiter, a pro-Palestinian activist and nurse-in-training, to three years in prison, with two years suspended, after she posted on social media supporting Palestinians’ basic rights.
More details:https://t.co/SSWkvDW1v7 pic.twitter.com/k7TfVX7GCl
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) November 4, 2024
The founder of the De Nice a Gaza (From Nice to Gaza) organization, Zaiter was handed a three-year prison sentence, with two years suspended and one year served under an electronic bracelet.
She reportedly organized the first pro-Palestinian protests in Nice in October 2023, when Israel launched its military offensive on Gaza.
Critique of Zionism
On Wednesday, in a post on X, Zaiter said, “I want to thank everyone who has supported me during this challenging time, who sent me letters, and who have been providing me with financial assistance. Above all, I am a mother and a nursing student.”
46 jours après une détention arbitraire et injuste pour avoir dénoncé le génocide et exprimé mon soutien à la Palestine a Nice, je retrouve enfin ma fille. pic.twitter.com/Xmas9rLhk8
— Amira Zaiter (@amirazait) November 6, 2024
Alongside a photo and video of her reuniting with her daughter, Zaiter said “46 days after an arbitrary and unjust detention for having denounced the genocide and expressed my support for Palestine in Nice, I finally find my daughter.”
During the October 21 trial, she defended her posts as emotionally driven responses to the genocide in Gaza, stating she aimed to critique Zionism, not Judaism, according to the Quds News Network (QNN).
Stringent Legislation
Alongside the prison sentence, the court ordered Zaiter to pay over €10,000 to various civil parties and publish her conviction in local newspapers at her own expense.
Paris Prosecutor Seeks Prison Sentence for French Activist Chanting ‘Intifada’ at a Protest
The trial highlights France’s stringent stance on public speech and pro-Israel laws.
In 2021, France adopted the infamous definition of antisemitism proposed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which deems criticism of Israel and Zionism and comparing Israel’s practices to those of the Nazis forms of antisemitism, QNN reported.
Related Case
Last month, the Paris prosecutor’s office requested an eight-month suspended prison sentence for another anti-genocide activist, Elias d’Imzalene, who was charged with “public provocation to hatred or violence,” according to the Middle East Monitor (MEMO).
⚖️ JUSTICE
Le parquet de Paris a requis une peine de huit mois de prison avec sursis à l’encontre du militant @imzalene, jugé hier pour “provocation publique à la haine ou à la violence” pour avoir évoqué une “intifada” dans la capitale française lors d’une manifestation.
Ce… pic.twitter.com/19bh9xS674
— Le Foulard Déchaîné (@F_dechaine) October 24, 2024
This followed remarks he made during a rally in Paris, where he mentioned the word “intifada,” a reference to the mass Palestinian uprisings against Israeli occupation.
He was taken into custody on September 24 for calling for an uprising during a demonstration on September 8, the report said.
(PC, MEMO, Al-Mayadeen, QNN)
