A French journalist, Ariane Lavrilleux, was held overnight and subjected to police questioning in connection with a 2021 investigative report that alleged French intelligence involvement in Egyptian operations resulting in civilian casualties. The incident unfolded when police conducted a search of Lavrilleux’s residence on September 19 and subsequently took her into custody. Her detention came as part of an inquiry related to potential breaches of national security.
Lavrilleux’s lawyer disclosed that she was released after spending a night in custody. Amnesty International expressed grave concerns about the journalist’s arrest, emphasizing the potential threat it posed to press freedom and source confidentiality. Katia Roux, a representative from Amnesty International, remarked on the arrest, stating, “To put in police custody a journalist for doing her job, moreover for revealing information of public interest, could be a threat to freedom of the press and confidentiality of sources.”
Ariane Lavrilleux had reportedly been questioned by officers from the French intelligence service, specifically the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI). Her 2021 report, published by the French investigative journalism website Disclose, relied on leaked classified documents to assert that French intelligence had been used by Egyptian authorities to bomb and kill smugglers along the Egyptian-Libyan border between 2016 and 2018. The report alleged French involvement in “at least 19 bombings” against civilians.
Disclose stated that French authorities, under both President François Hollande and President Emmanuel Macron, were continuously informed about these developments by personnel in “several military departments” but had disregarded their concerns. The publication of the report included national security secrets, which led to France’s armed forces ministry filing a legal complaint for “violation of national defence secrets.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned Lavrilleux’s arrest, calling for the cessation of all criminal investigations against her and advocating for the police to refrain from questioning her about her sources. Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative, highlighted the importance of allowing journalists to freely report on national defense and security matters, expressing concerns that questioning reporters about their confidential sources could deter reporting on such issues.
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