Europeans 2024: the RN in turmoil after serious accusations against Fabrice Leggeri, number 3 on its list

Le Monde and franceinfo revealed this Tuesday that the LDH and Utopia 56 were filing a complaint against Fabrice Leggeri for complicity in crimes against humanity and complicity in torture.

These are serious accusations which should not leave National Rally voters indifferent, a little less than two months before the European elections. Big favorite of the campaign, the far-right party, which is currently receiving an average of 30% of voting intentions, finds itself in turmoil. Le Monde and franceinfo revealed this Tuesday April 23 that number 3 on the RN list for European women is the target of a complaint for complicity in crimes against humanity and complicity in torture.

The two associations at the origin of the complaint, the Human Rights League and Utopia 56, accuse Fabrice Leggeri of having, during his time at the head of the European border and security agency, Coasts Frontex, between 2015 and 2022, took advantage of its position to facilitate illegal pushbacks at sea of ​​migrant boats. He is, for example, accused of having repeatedly obstructed the intervention of NGOs who were at sea, ready to rescue migrants in distress, but also of having provided GPS coordinates to the Libyan coast guard. or aerial photos of the boats heading towards Italy so that they could be intercepted first.

However, franceinfo recalls that it has been noted by the UN that these women and men, when returned to Libya, risk torture, slavery, arbitrary detention or even physical and sexual violence. Let us also remember that at sea, the principle is always that of assistance and help, regardless of who is in danger. This is officially recorded in the Geneva Convention of 1951 and both the UN and the European Union impose this same vision.

Fabrice Leggeri is also accused by the two associations of having facilitated or covered up, according to Le Monde, the refoulement of several migrant boats, in the direction of Greece, towards Turkey. According to the complaint, he did this in particular by refusing to relay their distress signals. A report from the European Anti-Fraud Office which brought these practices to light served as the basis for drafting this complaint. This report had, in 2022, forced the number 1 of Frontex to resign. For his part, Fabrice Leggeri today denounces “allegations” and “totally political maneuvers” whose aim would only be to bring him into discredit with a view to the European elections and to harm the RN.