Journalists in France called to testify for news about the army

In France, intelligence subpoenaed 3 journalists for their reports of nepotism in public service recruitment contracts within the armed forces.

According to the Disclose website, which reports on France, French Internal Intelligence Unit (DGSI) police summoned Disclose co-founder journalist Geoffrey Livolsi and Radio France’s Benoit Collombat and Jacques Monin to testify on December 14.

Journalists were called to testify in 2018 by reports that some high-ranking officials had long-standing clientele in contracts for the transport of military personnel, particularly for operations in the Sahel region of Africa.

The journalists, who will be subject to legal proceedings, will each face 5 years in prison and fines of up to 75,000 euros if found guilty at the end of this process. Reveal the development of French intelligence by calling on journalists to testify on the subject, which the national prosecutor’s office also opened an investigation in 2017, with the headline “French State against press freedom: Journalists from Reveal and Radio France summoned to the DGSI” and “Is it possible to investigate the French army?” announced it to his readers.

INVESTIGATIONS HAVE BEEN OPENED BEFORE

Following a criminal complaint filed against the organization by the Defense Ministry in 2021 over its news that French intelligence was negligent in civilian deaths in Egypt, the prosecution opened an investigation, the outcome of which has yet to be announced.

Three other Disclose journalists were also investigated in 2019 for “violating national defense secrecy” for their reports that France was selling arms to Yemen. French intelligence carried out a deep investigation for a year to get to the sources of Disclosure. (AA)