The Paris Public Prosecutor’s office has dropped charges against French far-left MEP Rima Hassan for alleged illegal drug possession, citing insufficient evidence after finding CBD and a suspected designer drug 3-MMC during her recent detention. Hassan, who denies the allegations and claims medical use of CBD, still faces a July 2026 trial for online terrorism apology over a deleted X post about the 1972 Lod airport attack, sparking debates on free speech and political motivation.
Key Developments in Rima Hassan’s Legal Battles
French far-left Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Rima Hassan has been cleared in a drug possession investigation, as announced by the Paris Public Prosecutor’s office on 9 April 2026. The decision follows her brief detention on 3 April 2026, during which police discovered cannabidiol (CBD) and a substance believed to be the designer drug 3-MMC in her possession.
As reported by Reuters staff at Al-Monitor, the Paris Public Prosecutor’s office stated that the preliminary investigation
“did not reveal a sufficiently substantiated offence,”
leading to the probe being dropped. Hassan has consistently denied illegal drug possession, explaining in a post on X that she takes CBD for medical reasons.
This development comes alongside her summons to appear before the criminal court on 7 July 2026 for charges of advocating terrorism online, punishable by up to seven years in prison and a €100,000 fine.
Background to the Arrest
On Thursday, 3 April 2026, French police arrested Rima Hassan and held her in custody for several hours—reported variously as 15 hours by DRM News—over a now-deleted post on X made on 26 March 2026. The post quoted a comment from an individual convicted in the 1972 Lod airport attack in Tel Aviv, which killed 26 people, and was interpreted as supportive of the Japanese Red Army’s actions.
As per the Paris prosecutor’s office, cited by Reuters in Global Banking and Finance, authorities suspected the post constituted
“apology for terrorism committed online.”
At the end of her custody, Hassan received a summons for the July trial.
Hassan’s lawyer, Vincent Brengarth, denounced the arrest’s legality and accused authorities of procedural misuse to bypass her parliamentary immunity, according to DRM News coverage.
Drug Probe Details and Dismissal
The drug allegations emerged separately during the 3 April detention. Police found CBD and what appeared to be 3-MMC, prompting a preliminary investigation.
Devdiscourse News Desk reported on 9 April 2026 that the Paris Public Prosecutor’s office concluded there was not enough evidence to pursue charges, dropping the probe entirely. This aligns with Reuters’ account in Al-Monitor, where the prosecutor’s statement emphasised the lack of a “sufficiently substantiated offense.”
Hassan addressed the claims directly on X, stating she uses CBD for medical purposes, a denial reiterated across multiple outlets including Yahoo News and WKZO. France Info, in a YouTube short, described the case as involving an “alleged” narcotic, noting its dismissal.
Ongoing Terrorism Apology Charges
Despite the drug probe’s closure, Hassan’s legal troubles persist with the terrorism-related charge. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed the 7 July 2026 trial date in a statement emailed late on 2 April 2026.
The offence stems from Hassan’s quotation on X of a convicted attacker’s justification, linking it to “oppression of people in the Palestinian territories,” as detailed by Reuters. Global Banking and Finance noted this relates to the Japanese Red Army’s 1972 Lod attack.
France Unbowed (LFI) leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the party’s founder, described the proceedings as politically motivated. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez countered on BFMTV, stating,
“There are rules to be respected. Apologising for terrorism is a very serious offense.”
Broader Investigations into Hate Speech
The prosecutor’s office revealed Hassan is under six other investigations for possible hate speech, with 16 additional cases shelved. Devdiscourse highlighted these alongside the drug and terrorism issues, framing them as part of ongoing controversies.
Al Jazeera’s Liberties section, in an article dated 5 April 2026, contextualised Hassan’s frequent legal entanglements, noting her pro-Palestinian stance and prior detention by Israeli forces during the Gaza Freedom Flotilla last year. There, she described being handcuffed, searched, and held in solitary confinement, with France offering little response at the time.
Political and Public Reactions
Hassan’s detention has ignited accusations of judicial harassment. In DRM News’ YouTube coverage, Hassan herself denounced “political and judicial harassment,” linking it to her activism ahead of France’s presidential elections.
Mélenchon’s claim of political motivation was dismissed by Nunez, who defended the enforcement of anti-terrorism laws. Al Jazeera raised concerns about free speech and political pressure, questioning France’s republican values in pursuing a pro-Palestinian MEP.
Her election in 2024 for France Unbowed underscores her far-left credentials, with the Lod post seen by supporters as contextualising Palestinian oppression.
Hassan’s Profile and Prior Incidents
Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian MEP born stateless in a Syrian refugee camp, has a history of activism. Al Jazeera detailed her Gaza Freedom Flotilla involvement, where Israeli forces detained her.
Global Banking and Finance and Reuters described her as a far-left MEP facing multiple probes, with the drug and terrorism cases as the latest. Her X activity, including the deleted post, has been central to these developments.
Legal Context and Penalties
The “terrorism apology” charge carries severe penalties: up to seven years’ imprisonment and a €100,000 fine, as per French law outlined by the Paris prosecutor’s office. The drug items—CBD (legal for medical use in France) and suspected 3-MMC (a controlled substance)—were separated for distinct handling.
Vincent Brengarth’s critique focused on immunity breaches, arguing the arrest bypassed parliamentary protections.
Media Coverage Across Outlets
Reporting has been extensive. Politico.eu initially covered similar themes, though specifics on the drug drop align with Reuters’ wires picked up by Al-Monitor, Yahoo, WKZO, and Devdiscourse.
YouTube channels like DRM News and France Info provided visual summaries, with France Info confirming the narcotic case dismissal. Global Banking and Finance integrated Reuters’ full dispatch on 2 April 2026.
Implications for Free Speech and Politics
The case has sparked debate on balancing free speech with anti-terrorism measures. Al Jazeera questioned whether France’s actions reflect poorly on its republic, especially given Hassan’s stateless background and activism.
As Hassan prepares for the July trial, her supporters view it as targeting pro-Palestinian voices, while officials insist on legal adherence.
Devdiscourse tied the controversies to her MEP role, listing hate speech probes, the 1970s attack comments, and the now-dropped drug case.
As of 10 April 2026, the drug probe is closed, per the prosecutor’s statement. The terrorism trial remains set for 7 July 2026.
Hassan continues her MEP duties for France Unbowed, amid six active hate speech investigations. No further statements from her camp were reported in the latest coverage.
