French foreign minister faces criminal complaint over misquoting Francesca Albanese
French Foreign Minister Faces Criminal Complaint Over Misquoting of UN Rapporteur
A coalition of French legal professionals has submitted a formal complaint to the Paris public prosecutor, alleging that the nation’s chief diplomat misrepresented the statements of the UN special rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese.
Context of the Misstatement
The Association of Lawyers for the Respect of International Law (Jurdi) announced on Thursday that legal action was initiated after remarks made by France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, sparked controversy. Barrot called for Albanese’s resignation earlier this week, citing a misquoted version of her speech from Doha on 7 February.
Barrot responded to a question from Renaissance MP Caroline Yadan, who had previously wrongly attributed a statement to Albanese. Yadan claimed Albanese described Israel as the “common enemy of humanity” during a virtual address at the Al Jazeera Forum in Qatar’s capital.
Albanese’s Statements
“We now see that we as a humanity have a common enemy and the respect of fundamental freedoms is the last peaceful avenue, the last peaceful toolbox that we have to regain our freedom,” Albanese stated during her remarks delivered remotely at the Al Jazeera Forum on 7 February.
In a prior speech at the Doha Forum in December, Albanese elaborated: “Palestine is allowing us to see what the law becomes when it’s in the hands of power. Palestine is allowing us to see what connects all injustices; what happens to Yemen, to Sudan, to Congo, and including in places where poverty has not been so rooted as it is today for a long time, including in the West. We have a common enemy and we need to face it, where the politics is at the service of economic interests.”
Legal Action and Public Reaction
Jurdi argues that Barrot’s comments before the National Assembly on 11 February raised concerns about “the spread of clearly inaccurate information by public authorities.” The minister claimed France “unequivocally condemns the outrageous and reprehensible remarks” of Albanese, which he asserted targeted “not the Israeli government… but Israel as a people and as a nation.”
Barrot labeled Albanese a “political activist who stirs up hate speech” and vowed to push for her resignation at the upcoming UN Human Rights Council meeting. In response, Albanese expressed frustration on X, stating: “Three European governments accuse me – based on statements I never made – with a virulence and conviction that they have NEVER used against those who have slaughtered 20,000+ children in 858 days.”
Jurdi emphasized that a full review of Albanese’s speech reveals she “never designated Israel as a common enemy of humanity.” The group noted the phrase referred to “a system in which politics serves economic interests,” and that the remarks were part of a broader analysis of alleged international law violations in Gaza, aligned with her UN responsibilities.
Social Media Influence
Jurdi highlighted that partial excerpts of Albanese’s speech were shared on social media by the pro-Israel group UN Watch in a “truncated form.” These snippets lacked the full context, leading to a “distorted interpretation” by public figures like Yadan.
The organization argued that Barrot’s institutional portrayal of Albanese’s statements as hate speech or a national attack constituted a “clear misrepresentation.” Under French law, spreading false information in bad faith that disturbs public order can be a criminal offense. Jurdi informed prosecutors that falsely attributing statements to Albanese could qualify under this legal framework.
