French prosecutor seeks 8-month suspended prison term for pro-Palestinian activist

By Feiza Ben Mohamed

NICE, France (AA) - The Paris prosecutor’s office has requested an eight-month suspended prison sentence for pro-Palestinian activist Elias d’Imzalene, sources told Anadolu.

He appeared in court on Wednesday, charged with “public provocation to hatred or violence” following remarks he made during a rally in Paris, where he mentioned the word “intifada.”

In addition to the suspended sentence, the prosecutor also requested a €2,000 fine ($2,160).

He was taken into custody on Sept. 24 for calling for an armed uprising during a demonstration on Sept. 8.

“Are we ready to lead an intifada in Paris?” he asked the crowd, referring to the “liberation of Jerusalem,” while accusing US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron of being “accomplices of genocide.”

The term “intifada,” an Arabic word meaning uprising, resistance, or rebellion, is often associated with the Palestinian uprisings of 1987-1993 and 2000-2005.

Israel has killed more than 42,800 Palestinians since the Oct. 7 cross-border attack that claimed 1,200 lives. The Israeli actions have sparked a humanitarian crisis and a genocide trial at the International Court of Justice.