French prosecutors on Tuesday asked a Paris court to impose a 10-month suspended prison sentence on European Parliament member Rima Hassan and bar her from holding public office for two years. Hassan is accused of "glorifying terrorism" after posting a quote on X on March 26 from Japanese terrorist Kozo Okamoto: "I dedicated my youth to Palestine. As long as oppression exists, resistance is not only a right but a duty."
Hassan's post quoting Okamoto, who led the terrorist cell that murdered 24 people the May 30, 1972, massacre at Lod Airport, now known as Ben Gurion Airport, was subsequently deleted. According to French newspaper Le Parisien, synthetic drugs were found in her bag at the time of her arrest. She is also suspected of drug use, transportation and possession.
This is not the first time Hassan has faced accusations of supporting terrorism. In December 2024, a complaint was filed against her over a statement she wrote: "If French-Israelis are allowed to serve in the Israeli military and enjoy the benefits of dual citizenship, then every French-Palestinian should be allowed to join the Palestinian armed resistance."
Just two weeks ago, Hassan was at the center of another controversy after she was filmed knocking Israeli and European Union flags to the floor at an exhibition commemorating the October 7 massacre. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola addressed the incident, saying she viewed the allegations against Hassan "very seriously."
Israeli and European Union flags lying on the floor
(Photo: X)
Hassan, who represents France in the European Parliament and is known for her outspoken opposition to Israel, has attempted to enter the country three times and was deported on each occasion.
The first incident occurred in February 2025, when Israel barred her entry while she was aboard a flight from Brussels. She was deported from Ben Gurion Airport immediately after landing with a European Union delegation.
In June of that year, Hassan participated in a flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip, was arrested and deported again. She later joined the Sumud flotilla in October and was deported from Israel for a third time.
Hassan was born in the Neirab Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and identifies as Palestinian. Israeli authorities have accused her, among other things, of conducting a campaign in support of Hamas. Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs has previously noted that Hassan publicly called for boycotts of companies operating in Israel, participated in initiatives to boycott the country and published content encouraging sanctions against it.
She has also accused Israel of apartheid, comparing it to South Africa's former apartheid regime, and called for a comprehensive boycott of the country.
In September 2024, she called for a boycott of supermarket chain Carrefour over its operations in Israel. In 2025, she expressed support for a boycott of Starbucks, claiming the company was "complicit in the genocide in Gaza."