French lawmaker Sébastien Delogu has hit back at authorities following his placement in police custody on Thursday, denouncing what he calls a “media smear campaign fueled by untruthful police leaks.” The outspoken member of parliament from the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) party spoke out on Friday after being questioned for eight hours over an alleged altercation with police officers in his Marseille apartment building.
In a strongly worded statement, the Marseille deputy rejected accusations of “outrage” — a French legal term for contempt of a public official — that he says are “in no way substantiated.” Delogu emphasized that he had presented himself “voluntarily” at the police station on Thursday afternoon, only to be held in custody and later informed he would face trial on November 13.
Leaks and Legal Proceedings
Delogu expressed fury over what he described as a “disproportionate procedure” during which, he claims, the press was informed “in real time, at every stage, in violation of all confidentiality rules.” The parliamentarian firmly denies media reports suggesting he intervened to obstruct a police operation in his building.
“On the contrary, it was I who was insulted and assaulted without any reason,” Delogu asserted in his statement. The Marseille prosecutor’s office confirmed on Thursday that the MP had been taken into custody as part of a “flagrant investigation for contempt of a person holding public authority.” Three police officers filed complaints against Delogu following the incident, while the parliamentarian filed his own complaint for insults and physical violence.
Conflicting Accounts of the Incident
The confrontation occurred on Monday around 3:15 p.m. as three plainclothes officers attempted to enter the building where Delogu resides while searching for a man suspected of watch theft. According to Delogu, the officers failed to identify themselves, prompting him to initially refuse them entry. Moments later, he encountered them on his landing, where tensions escalated.
Partial video recordings of the incident have circulated in the media. Delogu claims one officer insulted him, calling him “shit” and telling him “your breath stinks” before pressing “a closed fist against his chest.” However, police reports reviewed by AFP present a different narrative, alleging that Delogu “physically” blocked their entry into the building and insulted them, reportedly calling them a “bunch of tired losers” and, in one instance, an “asshole.”
The man sought for theft was arrested without incident on Thursday in an apartment opposite Delogu’s. He was tried in immediate appearance and acquitted, the prosecutor’s office told AFP on Friday.
The case has drawn attention amid broader political tensions in France, with LFI candidates recently targeted by what authorities describe as foreign interference campaigns during municipal elections.
