France: Journalist Detained and Loses Banking Access After Criticism of Islam

Image: Jihad Watch

The Lons-le-Saunier police placed Yona Faedda, an activist affiliated with the Nemesis collective, in police custody on Sunday, January 18, around midday. According to a statement published by Nemesis on the social media platform X, the young woman was participating in a street outreach initiative alongside approximately a dozen other activists. The group had set out to conduct a public street survey in various areas of Lons-le-Saunier, focusing on the issue of Islamism.

Sources indicate that during one of these exchanges, a woman who had been interviewed at the Rouget de Lisle wine cellar later withdrew her consent to have her testimony recorded on video. She reportedly requested that the footage be deleted and subsequently contacted the police. Law enforcement officers later intercepted the group at Place des Lions. At that location, Yona Faedda, who is originally from Besançon, was informed that she was being taken into police custody. Video footage shared on both her personal profile and the Nemesis collective’s account shows officers explaining that the action was due to the demonstration not having been officially declared to the prefecture, as required by French regulations.

The Nemesis collective, which takes its name from the Greek goddess of retribution, was founded in October 2019. Its creation followed the wave of sexual assaults reported during New Year’s Eve celebrations in 2016, particularly in the German cities of Cologne and Hamburg, incidents that were widely attributed to groups of foreign nationals targeting German women. Nemesis presents itself as a feminist whistleblower organization, positioning itself in opposition to mainstream feminist movements, which it accuses of promoting what it describes as a “leftist ideology” that, in its view, comes at the expense of women’s rights. However, the group is widely regarded by critics and observers as a far-right, identitarian activist movement.

Alice Cordier, who uses a pseudonym and is the founder of Nemesis, also reacted strongly on X to the detention of the activist from Besançon. She expressed indignation over what she described as the arrest of an activist in connection with a “No Hijab Day,” and questioned whether “creating content in France is illegal.” She further criticized the decision, calling on the judicial police officer involved to “wake up before it becomes ridiculous,” implying that the action was excessive and unjustified. As of late Sunday afternoon, Yona Faedda remained in police custody.

For its part, the Nemesis collective also shared an article from the regional daily press in which the prefect of the Jura department had stressed the need to reinforce security measures across the region. In response, the group commented, “He kept his promises,” a remark loaded with implicit criticism and suggesting a link, in their view, between the prefect’s stance on security and the police action taken against their activist.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)