After death threats against deputies, the National Assembly appoints a referent

Faced with the resurgence of death threats against deputies, a referent has been appointed within the services of the National Assembly, to “collect reports” and “advise” elected officials in their possible steps, announced a parliamentary source, this Tuesday.

The President of the National Assembly, Richard Ferrand, will send a letter to all the deputies to inform them.

Threats of “beheading”

This referent, member of the administration of the Assembly, will be “the interlocutor to collect the reports of the deputies and advise them, if they wish, in their possible steps”, one indicated in conference of the presidents of the Assembly. Many MPs have been targeted by death threats in recent weeks. The LREM deputy of Moselle Ludovic Mendes pushed a “rant” on Twitter Monday, after an anonymous email threatening him with “beheading”.

“To you, who waste your time threatening us, insulting us, trying to intimidate us. I tell you clearly, your threats do not scare me “, underlined the” walker “. Several elected members of the majority have also announced to file a complaint after death threats related to the health and vaccination policy of the government. A message sent to the LREM deputy of Dear Loïc Kervran and his colleague from the Rhône, Thomas Rudigoz, also referred to the recent murder of British deputy David Amess, stabbed in mid-October during a parliamentary office.

Strengthening the security of elected officials

A previous series of threats and violence had also taken place at the time of the “yellow vests” crisis. At LFI, the candidate for the Elysee Jean-Luc Mélenchon filed a complaint against X in mid-November after the publication of a photomontage of a far-right group, making a caricature of his face a target with a viewfinder gun on the forehead.

His colleague, LFI MP Danièle Obono, also targeted, also lodged a complaint and the Paris prosecutor’s office announced the opening of an investigation. In early November, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin called on the prefects to strengthen the security of elected officials, in the face of threats and intimidation, in particular by increasing surveillance around their offices and, if necessary, their homes.