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Home secretary Suella Braverman was condemned by MEPs over the arrest of French foreign rights manager Ernest Moret, who was interrogated by counter-terrorism officers while on his way to London Book Fair, the Guardian has reported.
The Bookseller had previously reported that the La Fabrique Editions rights manager was allegedly questioned about his writing on recent events in France, as well as his attendance in the retirement age protests that have rocked the country. Moret was released from police custody on 19th April after being arrested at St Pancras station the day before, but his phone and laptop remain in police custody, and he will be required to return to London in May, according to the French publisher and its collaborator Verso Books.
Twelve European politicians, including from France, Germany, Spain, Ireland and Portugal, have now written to the home secretary, expressing outrage about Moret’s arrest and treatment.
They said in their letter that the British police’s actions were ”an example of the abuse of anti-terrorism” and “outrageous and unjustifiable infringements of basic principles of freedom of expression”. The MEPs also called on the French government to address its role in the affair.
In their letter, they wrote: “The police officers claimed that Ernest had participated in demonstrations in France as justification for this act – a quite remarkably inappropriate statement for a British police officer to make and which seems to clearly indicate complicity between French and British authorities on this matter.”
They added: “This assault on the freedom of expression of a publisher is yet another manifestation of the slide towards repressive and authoritarian measures taken by the French government in the face of widespread popular discontent.”
The Guardian also reported that French MPs Aurélie Trouvé and Hadrien Clouet wrote to France’s minister of justice, Éric Dupond-Moretti, urging him to address the role of the French government in Moret’s arrest.
A Home Office spokesperson told the newspaper: “We thank the MEPs for their correspondence. The letter will be processed and a response provided in due course.”
Moret, who also manages foreign rights for the science fiction author Alain Damasio, had more than 30 appointments planned with foreign publishers and was due to return to Paris on Friday.