A French far-left and pro-Palestinian lawmaker who was recently prevented from entering Canada for a series of Montreal events was arrested Thursday in France over a social media post authorities say could be seen as supporting terrorism, according to Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Rima Hassan, a 33-year-old member of the European Parliament from La France Insoumise, which backs wealth taxes, mass public spending and leaving NATO, was taken into custody over a message she posted on X last month referring to the 1972 attack by the Japanese Red Army militant group at Lod airport in Tel Aviv, which resulted in 26 deaths, Reuters reported.
According to the French newspaper Le Parisien, Hassan is now being questioned as part of an investigation into “apology for terrorism.”
Hassan later deleted the message. Neither her nor her lawyers have so far responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Last week, Hassan had been denied entry to Canada, where she had been scheduled to speak at two conferences in Montreal, as well as meeting with Québec solidaire MNAs Haroun Bouazzi and Ruba Ghazal. Initially, her electronic travel authorization had been approved, Hassan said, but it was then placed under review the day before her flight.
She described the move as “a worrying obstruction to parliamentary action and to freedom of expression.” She ultimately spoke virtually to the Montreal conferences.
The Office of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship told The Gazette it does not comment on individual cases because of privacy laws but explained that “applicants must be admissible to Canada and meet the requirements set in Canadian law.”
Electronic travel authorizations can be revoked for a range of reasons, including incomplete or inaccurate information, it added.
Both the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and B’nai Brith Canada said they had raised concerns with Canadian authorities, adding they welcomed the decision to deny her entry.
In recent years, Hassan has become a prominent pro-Palestinian voice in France, though she has also drawn controversy. She has said that Hamas’s methods can be “criminal,” but has also described the 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel as “legitimate” under international law.
Her allies have denounced the arrest as politically motivated.
Hassan has previously been questioned by police over similar allegations and has been under investigation since late 2023 for statements related to Hamas following the Oct. 7 attacks.
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