Latest news with #VincentBrengarth
Ya Biladi
3 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
French-Moroccan student faces charges for hacking Paris-Dauphine profiles with Palestinian flag
Motawassim L., a 22-year-old French-Moroccan computer science master's student at Paris-Dauphine University, is facing charges for altering the intranet profiles of 18 students on October 7, 2024. He allegedly replaced their profile photos with a Palestinian flag and the slogan «Free Palestine». According to Le Monde, the cyberattack, carried out from his family home in Saint-Denis, targeted students identified as members of the Dauphine chapter of the Union of Jewish Students (UEJF). At a court hearing on Friday, July 11, the public prosecutor requested a five-month suspended prison sentence and mandatory participation in a citizenship program at the Shoah Memorial. While the main charge is «fraudulent modification of data», civil parties—including LICRA and the Union of Jewish Students of France—have called for the act to be qualified with the aggravating circumstance of antisemitism. They argue that both the selection of targets and the timing point to a deliberate attack based on religious affiliation. Motawassim L. denies any antisemitic intent. He described his actions as a political statement made «in a moment of emotion… in reaction to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza», and insisted it was not driven by hate. «It was more of a political act, in the context of student protests», he said, explaining that he selected the profiles based on visible interactions on UEJF's Instagram page. His defense team argued that emotional context should not distort the legal interpretation of the incident. His lawyer, Vincent Brengarth, cautioned against framing the case as overly symbolic. «It is not this court's role to make up for the events of October 7», he said, as reported by Le Parisien.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Paris prosecutor drops case against Apple over Congo minerals, document shows
PARIS (Reuters) -French prosecutors have closed a case filed by Democratic Republic of Congo accusing Apple subsidiaries of using conflict minerals in its supply chain, according to a document seen by Reuters on Thursday. Congo filed criminal complaints against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, its lawyers said in December. Apple said then it strongly disputed the allegations and had told its suppliers they must not use the minerals in question sourced from Congo or Rwanda. In the document seen by Reuters and dated February 18, the Paris prosecutor's office said allegations of money laundering and deceptive business practices were "not sufficiently well-founded" and closed the case - meaning it will not proceed with the complaint. The office invited Congo to contact a different office "with jurisdiction over war crimes". The prosecutor's office and Apple did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Thursday. William Bourdon and Vincent Brengarth, lawyers working for Congo in France, described the decision as a "very partial dismissal" that they intended to challenge, citing the "extreme seriousness of the facts denounced and the need to identify and prosecute those responsible." Congo is a major source of tin, tantalum and tungsten, so-called 3T minerals used in computers and mobile phones. Some artisanal mines are run by armed groups involved in massacres of civilians, mass rapes, looting and other crimes, according to U.N. experts and human rights groups. Since the 1990s, Congo's mining heartlands in the east have been devastated by waves of fighting between armed groups, some backed by neighbouring Rwanda, and the Congolese military. The complaints filed in France and Belgium were prepared on behalf of Congo's justice minister. Belgium appointed an investigating magistrate in response, a lawyer for Congo said in January. Sign in to access your portfolio
