Conflict Incident Report

Police Friday detained several activists who interrupted the speech of French Senate President Gerard Larcher at the opening of the 22nd Francophone Book Fair at Biel, the state-run National News Agency reported. “A few protesters interrupted the speech of Larcher, calling for the freedom of prisoner Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, prompting security forces to lead them outside the venue by force and take them to a police station,” NNA said. The International Committee to Free Georges Abdallah said in a statement that “the supporters were performing their basic democratic right to free speech. They were only protesting against his imprisonment on French lands as tomorrow is the 32nd anniversary for his detention.” The statement didn’t specify the number of activists who were arrested, but said that activist Wael Abdallah was among them.