A French vegan activist was set to appear in court on Thursday for allegedly condoning terrorism after writing on social media that a butcher killed in an Islamist attack deserved his fate, a legal source told AFP.

The unusual case, being prosecuted under France's tough anti-terror security laws, was to be heard in the town of Saint-Gaudens in southwest France.

Police in the region spotted a message overnight on Monday-Tuesday related to the killing of a butcher at the Super U supermarket in Trebes last week during an attack by a gunman claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group, the source said.

"So then, you are shocked that a murderer is killed by a terrorist," wrote the vegan and activist for animal rights. "Not me. I've got zero compassion for him, there's some justice in it."

The message sparked instant criticism and complaints and the author later withdrew it, the legal source said, but prosecutors decided to press charges for condoning terrorism anyway.

The charge can be brought against anyone suspected of approving terrorism or commenting on it favourably. Doing so on the internet carries a maximum seven-year jail term and a fine of up to 100,000 euros ($125,000).

A left-wing French activist who had stood for parliament last June, Stephane Poussier, was handed a one-year suspended jail term on Tuesday over comments he posted on Twitter over the same attack.

The shooting spree by a Moroccan-born Frenchman last Friday around the towns of Carcassonne and Trebes left four people dead, including a local policeman who exchanged himself for a hostage but was then killed.

President Emmanuel Macron led tributes on Wednesday at a national commemoration for the officer, Arnaud Beltrame, a colonel in the local paramilitary police.

"Whenever a policeman is shot... I think of my friend Remi Fraisse," Poussier had written on Twitter, referring to an environmental activist killed by a stun grenade fired by police during a 2014 protest over a dam.

"And this time it was a colonel, great! Additionally, it means one less Macron voter," he added. </s> FOIX, France — A French vegan activist was set to appear in court on Thursday for allegedly condoning terrorism after writing on social media that a butcher killed in an Islamist attack deserved his fate, a legal source told AFP.

The unusual case, being prosecuted under France’s tough anti-terror security laws, was to be heard in the town of Saint-Gaudens in southwest France.

Police in the region spotted a message overnight on Monday-Tuesday related to the killing of a butcher at the Super U supermarket in Trebes last week during an attack by a gunman claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group, the source said.

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“So then, you are shocked that a murderer is killed by a terrorist,” wrote the vegan and activist for animal rights. “Not me. I’ve got zero compassion for him, there’s some justice in it.”

The message sparked instant criticism and complaints and the author later withdrew it, the legal source said, but prosecutors decided to press charges for condoning terrorism anyway.

The charge can be brought against anyone suspected of approving terrorism or commenting on it favorably. Doing so on the internet carries a maximum seven-year jail term and a fine of up to 100,000 euros ($125,000).

A left-wing French activist who had stood for parliament last June, Stephane Poussier, was handed a one-year suspended jail term on Tuesday over comments he posted on Twitter over the same attack.

The shooting spree by a Moroccan-born Frenchman last Friday around the towns of Carcassonne and Trebes left four people dead, including a local policeman who exchanged himself for a hostage but was then killed.

President Emmanuel Macron led tributes on Wednesday at a national commemoration for the officer, Arnaud Beltrame, a colonel in the local paramilitary police.

“Whenever a policeman is shot… I think of my friend Remi Fraisse,” Poussier had written on Twitter, referring to an environmental activist killed by a stun grenade fired by police during a 2014 protest over a dam.

“And this time it was a colonel, great! Additionally, it means one less Macron voter,” he added. </s> A French politician could face up to seven years in prison and a hefty fine after reportedly being arrested over tweets celebrating the death of a policeman during the terrorist siege in a French supermarket.

Stephane Poussier, who stood unsuccessfully for the left-wing La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party in last year’s general election, was arrested Sunday at his home in Dives-sur-Mer in northwest France, according to French media. In a series of tweets, the politician is said to have celebrated the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Beltrame, the gendarme killed after offering himself in exchange for a hostage during Friday’s supermarket siege in Trebes, southwest France.

READ MORE: 3 homemade bombs found at site of French supermarket attack – report

"Whenever a policeman is shot... I think of my friend Remi Fraisse," he wrote, according to La Parisien. Poussier was referring to 21-year-old environmentalist Remi Fraisse who was killed in 2014 during clashes with police at the site of a dam in Sivens, near Toulouse. “And this time it was a colonel, great! It also means one less vote for [President Emmanuel] Macron,” he added.

Poussier’s Twitter account has now been deleted but a post expressing similar sentiments remains on his Facebook page. He was arrested under a law which prohibits speaking favorably of a terrorist act or crime. If convicted, Poussier faces a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and a €100,000 fine.

READ MORE: Twitter blames Paris for failing to stop Trebes gunman, once regarded as national security threat

Beltrame has been hailed as a hero in France for his actions during the Trebes siege. One of the first to the scene, the policeman exchanged himself for a woman being held as a human shield by Radouane Lakdim, a jihadist claiming to be acting on behalf of the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). Beltrame later died of a knife wound to the neck while Lakdim was killed in the ensuing police raid.

“The shameful and abject words of Stephane Poussier have nothing to do with La France Insoumise. We condemn them firmly. We immediately withdraw this person from the party,” France Unbowed said in a statement Saturday. The party’s leader Jean-Luc Melenchon also condemned Poussier, labeling the tweets “repulsive.”

Like this story? Share it with a friend! </s> A left-wing French politician has been arrested over a tweet apparently celebrating the death of a policeman who was hailed a hero after he took the place of a hostage and was killed by a jihadist gunman.

Police arrested Stephane Poussier at his home in Dives-sur-Mer, northwest France, on Sunday after he sent two tweets welcoming the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Beltrame.

"Whenever a policeman is shot... I think of my friend Remi Fraisse," Poussier said on Twitter, referring to an environmental activist killed by a stun grenade fired by police during a 2014 protest over a dam.

"And this time it was a colonel, great! Additionally, it means one less Macron voter," he added.

A national tribute is to be held for Beltrame, who President Emmanuel Macron said had "died a hero".

Poussier's remarks provoked strong reactions and his Twitter account was disabled.

"Stephane Poussier is in custody since 11:30 this morning for justifying acts of terrorism after comments published yesterday on his Twitter account," local prosecutor David Pamart confirmed to AFP late Sunday.

He could face up to seven years in prison and a fine of 100,000 euros ($124,000).

Poussier stood unsuccessfully in elections last year as a candidate for the La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party of radical leftwinger Jean-Luc Melenchon.

His comments were condemned by the party and Melenchon, who said on Twitter that it would on Monday file a complaint against him for justifying terrorism.
• France mourns death of hero gendarme who took place of supermarket hostage </s> A FRENCH VEGAN activist was handed a suspended prison term today for condoning terrorism after writing on Facebook that “justice” had been served when a butcher was killed during an Islamist attack last week, a legal source said.

The unusual case, prosecuted under France’s tough anti-terror security laws, was heard in the town of Saint-Gaudens in southwest France.

Police spotted the Facebook message by the vegan cheesemaker on Monday night about the killing of butcher Christian Medves at a Super U supermarket in Trebes last week during a shooting spree by an Islamic extremist.

“So then, you are shocked that a murderer is killed by a terrorist.” wrote the animal rights activist, named as Myriam by local media. “Not me. I’ve got zero compassion for him, there’s justice in it.”

With France mourning the four victims of the gunman’s rampage, the message sparked outrage online and the author later deleted it, but prosecutors decided to press charges for condoning terrorism, a legal source said.

During sentencing on Thursday, the defendant was handed a suspended prison term of seven months, meaning she will not serve any time behind bars unless she re-offends, local prosecutor Cecile Deprade told AFP.

Anyone suspected of approving terrorism or commenting on it favourably can be charged under French law. Doing so on the internet carries a maximum seven-year jail term and a fine of up to €100,000.

“I can understand that you can love and defend animals, but not to the point where you hate humans,” Franck Alberti, a lawyer who is close to the butcher’s family, was quoted as saying by Le Parisien newspaper.

The Facebook post also drew condemnation from the French Butchers’ Confederation which called it “dreadful” and urged respect for Medves, a 50-year-old father of two who was head of the meat section in the Super U.

La Depeche du Midi newspaper published a message from the vegan activist earlier this week in which she said she had deleted her comment within two hours and thought it was visible only to her friends, not to the public.

A left-wing French activist who had stood for parliament last June, Stephane Poussier, was handed a one-year suspended jail term on Tuesday over comments he posted on Twitter over the same attack last Friday.

Poussier had welcomed the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Beltrame, a police colonel who exchanged himself for a hostage but was then killed in an act hailed as heroic.

“Whenever a policeman is shot… I think of my friend Remi Fraisse,” he wrote, referring to an environmental activist killed by a stun grenade fired by police during a 2014 protest over a dam.

“And this time it was a colonel, great! Additionally, it means one less Macron voter,” he added.

Read: Hunt underway for man who tried to ram car into soldiers jogging near barracks in France

Read: ‘French spirit of resistance’ hailed as hero policeman laid to rest </s> Foix (France) (AFP) - A French vegan activist was handed a suspended prison term on Thursday for condoning terrorism after writing on Facebook that "justice" had been served when a butcher was killed during an Islamist attack last week, a legal source said.

The unusual case, prosecuted under France's tough anti-terror security laws, was heard in the town of Saint-Gaudens in southwest France.

Police spotted the Facebook message by the vegan cheesemaker on Monday night about the killing of butcher Christian Medves at a Super U supermarket in Trebes last week during a shooting spree by an Islamic extremist.

"So then, you are shocked that a murderer is killed by a terrorist." wrote the animal rights activist, named as Myriam by local media. "Not me. I've got zero compassion for him, there's justice in it."

With France mourning the four victims of the gunman's rampage, the message sparked outrage online and the author later deleted it, but prosecutors decided to press charges for condoning terrorism, a legal source said.

During sentencing on Thursday, the defendant was handed a suspended prison term of seven months, meaning she will not serve any time behind bars unless she re-offends, local prosecutor Cecile Deprade told AFP.

Anyone suspected of approving terrorism or commenting on it favourably can be charged under French law. Doing so on the internet carries a maximum seven-year jail term and a fine of up to 100,000 euros ($125,000).

"I can understand that you can love and defend animals, but not to the point where you hate humans," Franck Alberti, a lawyer who is close to the butcher's family, was quoted as saying by Le Parisien newspaper.

The Facebook post also drew condemnation from the French Butchers' Confederation which called it "dreadful" and urged respect for Medves, a 50-year-old father of two who was head of the meat section in the Super U.

La Depeche du Midi newspaper published a message from the vegan activist earlier this week in which she said she had deleted her comment within two hours and thought it was visible only to her friends, not to the public.

A left-wing French activist who had stood for parliament last June, Stephane Poussier, was handed a one-year suspended jail term on Tuesday over comments he posted on Twitter over the same attack last Friday.

Poussier had welcomed the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Beltrame, a police colonel who exchanged himself for a hostage but was then killed in an act hailed as heroic.

"Whenever a policeman is shot... I think of my friend Remi Fraisse," he wrote, referring to an environmental activist killed by a stun grenade fired by police during a 2014 protest over a dam.

"And this time it was a colonel, great! Additionally, it means one less Macron voter," he added.

President Emmanuel Macron led tributes on Wednesday at a national commemoration for Beltrame. </s> RENNES, FRANCE (AFP) - A left-wing French politician has been arrested over a tweet apparently celebrating the death of a policeman who was hailed a hero after he took the place of a hostage and was killed by an Islamist gunman.

Police arrested Stephane Poussier at his home in Dives-sur-Mer, north-west France, on Sunday (March 25) after he sent two tweets welcoming the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Beltrame.

"Whenever a policeman is shot... I think of my friend Remi Fraisse," Poussier said on Twitter, referring to an environmental activist killed by a stun grenade fired by police during a 2014 protest over a dam.

"And this time it was a colonel, great! Additionally, it means one less Macron voter," he added.

Lt Col Beltrame was shot and stabbed to death after offering himself in exchange for a woman being used as a human shield by Radouane Lakdim, who had already killed three other people in a rampage on Friday.

A national tribute is to be held for Lt Col Beltrame, who President Emmanuel Macron said had "died a hero".

Poussier's remarks provoked strong reactions and his Twitter account was disabled.

"Stephane Poussier is in custody since 11.30 this morning for justifying acts of terrorism after comments published yesterday on his Twitter account," local prosecutor David Pamart confirmed to AFP late on Sunday.

He could face up to seven years in prison and a fine of 100,000 euros (S$162,280).

Poussier stood unsuccessfully in elections last year as a candidate for the La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party of radical leftwinger Jean-Luc Melenchon.

His comments were condemned by the party and Mr Melenchon, who said on Twitter that it would on Monday file a complaint against him for justifying terrorism. </s> The officer who offered to be swapped for a female hostage was identified as Col. Arnaud Beltrame. (Photo | AP)

RENNES, FRANCE: A left-wing French politician has been arrested over a tweet apparently celebrating the death of a policeman who was hailed a hero after he took the place of a hostage and was killed by a jihadist gunman.

Police arrested Stephane Poussier at his home in Dives-sur-Mer, northwest France, on Sunday after he sent two tweets welcoming the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Arnaud Beltrame.

"Whenever a policeman is shot... I think of my friend Remi Fraisse," Poussier said on Twitter, referring to an environmental activist killed by a stun grenade fired by police during a 2014 protest over a dam.

"And this time it was a colonel, great! Additionally, it means one less Macron voter," he added.

Beltrame was shot and stabbed to death after offering himself in exchange for a woman being used as a human shield by Radouane Lakdim who had already killed three other people in a rampage on Friday.

A national tribute is to be held for Beltrame, who President Emmanuel Macron said had "died a hero".

Poussier's remarks provoked strong reactions and his Twitter account was disabled.

"Stephane Poussier is in custody since 11:30 this morning for justifying acts of terrorism after comments published yesterday on his Twitter account," local prosecutor David Pamart confirmed to AFP late Sunday.

He could face up to seven years in prison and a fine of 100,000 euros ($124,000).

Poussier stood unsuccessfully in elections last year as a candidate for the La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party of radical leftwinger Jean-Luc Melenchon.

His comments were condemned by the party and Melenchon, who said on Twitter that it would on Monday file a complaint against him for justifying terrorism. </s> Image copyright AFP / GENDARMERIE NATIONALE Image caption Lt-Col Arnaud Beltrame was killed after swapping himself for a hostage in a siege in south-west France

A former French left-wing parliamentary candidate has been arrested over his tweets about a policeman killed during a jihadist siege in southern France last week.

Stéphane Poussier appeared to celebrate the death of Lt-Col Arnaud Beltrame, saying it was great.

He added that the death in the town of Trèbes meant one less voter for President Emmanuel Macron.

French media say he could be charged with apologising for terrorism.

Mr Poussier's Twitter account has since been deleted. It is unclear if this action was taken by him or the platform, after the tweets caused an outcry and were reported by other social media users.

The ex-candidate said the death made him think of a friend, activist Remi Fraisse, who died after police threw a concussion grenade during protests in 2014.

Col Beltrame, 44, died after being shot when a jihadist stormed a supermarket in Trèbes on Friday.

He has been hailed as a national hero after trading places with one of the hostages.

He will be honoured in a national memorial in Paris in the coming days.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "This was a heroic act" on the part of the lieutenant-colonel, says Interior Minister Gérard Collomb

Friday's attack - which killed four people - was the worst jihadist attack under Emmanuel Macron's presidency.

The maximum penalty for apology for terrorist acts is seven years in prison and a fine of €100,000 (£90,000; $120,000), according to Le Monde newspaper.

Stéphane Poussier stood as a candidate for La France Insoumise (France Unbowed), the far-left party led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, during legislative elections in 2017.

The party has expelled Mr Poussier, calling his tweets "shameful and abject".

Mr Mélenchon also tweeted to condemn the "disgusting" remarks and to praise Col Beltrame for giving his life for the service of others.
French left-wing activist Stephane Poussier receives a one-year suspended term for praising the death of a policeman in a terrorist attack.