The Paris Court of Appeal confirmed on Wednesday January 19 the release pronounced in favor of the elected opposition ecologist Marine Tondelier, who was sued for defamation by the mayor Rassemblement National (RN) of Hénin-Beaumont (Pas-de-France). -Calais) Steve Briois for a book published in 2017.
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“
The court confirms the judgment
” of the Paris Criminal Court, which had released Marine Tondelier on November 6, 2020, declared the president of the court of appeal. This elected EELV was sued by the mayor of Hénin-Beaumont and vice-president of the RN Steeve Briois, by Bruno Bilde - then municipal deputy, now a deputy - and the director general of services at the time, for his book
News du Front
, dedicated to the Frontist management of the city.
The seven incriminated excerpts from the work published on March 1, 2017 described in particular "
pressure exerted on city hall officials close to the opposition
", "
the hiring of relatives and elected officials of the FN
", "
surveillance of agents
" and "
the insults uttered against the inhabitants
". At first instance, the court found that the remarks were indeed defamatory but that the elected official and her publisher should be released for the benefit of good faith.
The book "
is part of a debate of general interest
" and has a "
sufficient factual basis
", had considered the court, adding that the author "
asserts herself as a political opponent and speaks without excess on the actions of men who know that they expose themselves publicly because of their own commitment
".
The motivation of the appeals court was not known on Wednesday.
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