In a documentary, Sophia Chikirou defends Jean-Luc Melenchon and denounces the "lawfare"

By Abel Mestre Posted yesterday at 22h06, updated at 06h20

Time to Reading 3 min.

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One is never better served than by oneself. This adage is also true in politics. In a documentary of a little over an hour, Sophia Chikirou intends to decipher the mechanism of the " lawfare " Jean-Luc Melenchon, his teams (of which she was a member), his movement La France rebel (LFI) and, more broadly, the left of protest. Entitled Lawfare: the Melenchon case, the film was premiered on Wednesday, October 16 at the Red Nose (the Parisian boat-theater of humorist Gerald Dahan), where were invited several journalists – except The Obs and Mediapart who were not invited.

This one-and-a-half-hour film, which the former director of communication of the "rebellious" leader is co-directed with Jean-Marie Vaude, looks back at the origins of this concept that was born in South America. Understand: the instrumentalization of justice by the power against opponents with a triangle justice / executive / media. According to this documentary, the "Lawfare" is another tool in the repressive apparatus of the state, which seeks to muzzle all disputes. In this scheme, the executive is the originator. Journalists on orders would be accomplices. Justice is designated as the performer of low works.

"Committed film"

It is no coincidence that the premiere took place on October 16th. A year ago to the day were held about fifteen searches at the headquarters of the left party, that of LFI and the home of Jean-Luc Melenchon. The film goes back a long time on the origin of these searches, namely: two preliminary inquiries opened by the parquet of Paris. The first concerns the use of European parliamentary assistants, the other follows a report by the president of the National Commission for Campaign Accounts and Political Financing (CNCCFP) targeting those of the 2017 presidential election, suspected of irregularity. In this case, the company of M^me Chikirou, Mediascop, is suspected of "Billing", which she has, once again, fiercely denied. "My honor was flouted. I am innocent. There was no extra billing, no personal enrichment, no misappropriation of public funds "she said.