France: investigation into alleged interference by Israeli company in municipal elections
The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation after several candidates from La France Insoumise reported disinformation campaigns targeting them, with suspicions of involvement by an Israeli company.
France: investigation into alleged interference by Israeli company in municipal elections
The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation to determine whether an Israeli company intervened in the French municipal elections. This decision follows accusations from several far-left candidates who claim to have been targeted by disinformation operations.
Three members of the La France Insoumise (LFI) party have filed complaints: Sébastien Delogu, defeated in Marseille in the south; François Piquemal, also defeated in Toulouse in the south-west; and David Guiraud, elected in Roubaix in the north. The three men believe they were targeted by coordinated defamation campaigns, including false accusations and manipulation of social networks.
Delogu told journalists he discovered a plaque on his vehicle displaying his name and a QR code linking to false allegations of rape. Piquemal reported the creation of social media pages spreading "the most serious rumours", adding that access codes to his accounts had been leaked. The three elected officials believe they were targeted because of their support for the Palestinian cause.
The investigation was launched after the government agency Viginum, which is responsible for combating information manipulation, announced it had detected "a system of artificial or automated distribution to spread manifestly inaccurate or misleading content". The body specified that this malicious campaign, in which a foreign-based actor is participating, could harm the fundamental interests of the nation by deliberately seeking to divert citizens' access to information.
A source close to the case told the AFP that this operation appeared to be conducted from Israel. However, prosecutors clarified that no elements currently allowed them to establish the involvement of the Israeli government.
Source: ERT News
Source: ERT