French journalist suspended for using ‘prisoners’ to describe Palestinians

ISTANBUL

France’s public broadcaster, Franceinfo, suspended a journalist Tuesday for using “prisoners” to describe 200 Palestinians released in the second round of a prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel.

A ticker on Franceinfo’s Channel 27 read “200 Palestinian prisoners have been freed,” sparking controversy.

French lawmaker Caroline Yadan criticized the “unacceptable” wording on X.

She announced she filed a complaint with the Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority (Arcom), demanding “exemplary sanctions.”

In a statement on X, Franceinfo admitted to the error: “Following an unacceptable mistake, an inappropriate headline regarding the Middle East situation aired briefly on Channel 27. The individual responsible has been suspended. We apologize to our viewers.”

Yadan responded, insisting that the journalist “must be dismissed” and argued that no apology could justify the mistake.

Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan weighed in, sharing Franceinfo’s statement and alleging that “Israel’s lobby in France exerts pressure.”

Far-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party MP Ersilia Soudais also criticized Franceinfo.

“Shame on you, Franceinfo, for preventing your journalists from doing their job. You bow to Ms. Yadan’s pressure,” it wrote on X.