A French judge opens an investigation against writer Houellebecq because of his statements about Muslims

Media reports reported today, Tuesday, that French judicial authorities opened an investigation into best-selling novelist and prominent thinker Michel Houellebecq, against the backdrop of statements suspected of discriminating against Muslims, which he made during an interview in November 2022, according to the German News Agency.

Several French media outlets, citing judicial sources, reported that an investigating judge in the city of Nanterre opened an official judicial investigation into the case, on suspicion of Houellebecq’s involvement in incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence.

The case revolves around an interview with the philosopher Michel Honfray, which was published in the magazine “Front Populaire”, and it is suspected that Houellebecq portrayed Muslims during the interview as a threat to the security of French people of French descent.

According to media reports, Houellebecq said in the interview that French people of French origin do not want Muslims to integrate into society, and that instead, Muslims should stop stealing from the French or leave the country.

He also spoke about the possibility of future attacks, which he described as “reverse Bataclan attacks,” targeting Muslims, in reference to the terrorist attacks carried out by extremists in Paris on November 13, 2015.

In January 2023, the French Council of the Muslim Religion filed a criminal complaint against Houellebecq, Onfray, and the magazine's editor-in-chief, Stéphane Simon.

The authorities in Lithuania and Latvia, the two republics located in the Baltic region, announced today, Tuesday, that they will conduct their first joint exercises to evacuate residents across the border and receive them in the neighboring country, according to what the German News Agency reported.

The exercises included simulating the escalation of an unspecified threat in the Baltic region, which required the organized evacuation of residents from Šiauliai in northern Lithuania to Kekava, located just south of Riga.

Last week, a simulation of a precautionary evacuation was conducted from Daugavpils in Latvia to Pasvalis in Lithuania. In both exercises, residents were transported by buses across the border to towns in the neighboring country.

Authorities said the drills were being conducted to test evacuation plans and cooperate in responding to actual threats. Emergency services explained that they will evaluate the results to use them to improve existing procedures.

Emergency services confirmed that the training exercises were planned in advance and were not linked to any change in the security situation or any specific threat.

The training included all stages of the cross-border evacuation process; From identifying residents, registering them, and organizing their departure from one of the two countries, all the way to receiving them and temporarily housing them in the neighboring country.

Particular attention was paid to the groups most at risk. About 100 volunteers participated in the two training. Lithuania and Latvia, members of NATO and the European Union, have been feeling threatened since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, due to their exposed positions on the alliance's eastern flank. Since then, the two countries have strengthened their defense capabilities.