Damien Abad accused of rape: parliamentary immunity removed from him

Damien Abad’s parliamentary immunity was lifted on Wednesday. Accused of rape, the former solidarity minister said last week in a press release that he “wants to be heard by justice, like any other citizen, and that under any regime.”

It was the apparatus of the National Assembly, the highest collegiate body, that decided on his case unanimously at the request of the court.

Justice made this request for a waiver of immunity as part of a preliminary investigation in Paris, and Mr. Abad said he was “favorable” to it. Because of this decision of the chancellery of the Assembly, its highest collegiate body, a deputy (belonging to “Renaissance”) may, in particular, be placed in police custody.

“From the very beginning of the preliminary investigation, I have always said that I am at the disposal of justice in order to be able to answer the questions of the investigators and thus confirm my innocence in the face of the heinous slander of which I am the object. “, Aina’s deputy, who belongs to the Renaissance group, assured a week ago. “I will tirelessly defend myself to prove my innocence and clear my honor,” he continues, specifying that he wrote to the president of the institution, Yael Brown-Piva, “so that the Bureau could make a decision as soon as possible” in the case of the waiver of immunity and grant this request.

Immunity protects parliamentarians from any coercive measure – police custody or trial – except for a crime, a flagrant offense or a final conviction, but does not prevent the filing of charges. Requests for waivers of immunity are filed by the public prosecutor’s office and sent by the custodian of the seal to the chairman of the relevant assembly.