French prosecutors have dropped an investigation into alleged drug possession by European Parliament member Rima Hassan , as scrutiny intensifies over her arrest on separate charges linked to a social media post.
The Paris prosecutor's decision on Thursday to halt the drugs probe undermines claims widely circulated in French media following her detention last week.
According to her lawyer, laboratory tests showed the substance in question contained no prohibited elements, with only trace levels of THC comparable to legal cannabidiol (CBD) products sold in France.
Hassan, a 33-year-old Syrian-Palestinian MEP, was arrested on 2 April on suspicion of "glorifying terrorism" over a post on the platform X, with the drugs allegations surfacing during custody.
While the allegation drew significant attention at the time, fuelled by leaks during her police interrogation, it has now collapsed entirely.
The terrorism-related charge stems from a post in which Hassan referenced the 1972 Lod Airport attack, carried out by members of the Japanese Red Army on behalf of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
Hassan cited remarks attributed to one of its perpetrators, Kozo Okamoto, allegedly invoking a justification for the attack linked to Palestinian oppression. The post was later deleted, and its exact wording has not been widely republished in French media.
The case has triggered sharp criticism from across the French left and civil liberties advocates, who argue that quoting or relaying historical material, without explicit endorsement, should not constitute a criminal offence.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of Hassan’s party, condemned the arrest as an example of "political policing" relating to criticism of Israel, questioning whether parliamentary immunity still protects elected officials’ speech.
Her lawyer, Vincent Brengarth, described the detention as "completely illegal" and argued that the case had been deliberately constructed through questionable procedures. He also dismissed the drug allegations as baseless, pointing to the laboratory findings.
Others have framed the prosecution as part of a broader pattern of disproportionate action against pro-Palestinian expression in France, particularly under expansive interpretations of laws criminalising the glorification of terrorism.
Hassan herself has described the case as "judicial and political harassment", saying the "only reason" for the campaign against her is her political stance in support of the Palestinian cause and criticism of Israel.
The controversy deepened earlier this week when the satirical investigative outlet Le Canard Enchaine reported that a spokesperson for the justice ministry may have been behind the leak of the drug allegations to the press while Hassan was in custody.
The revelation prompted her to file a legal complaint against the official.
Following Thursday’s decision, Hassan said she is considering further legal action, stating on X that she would not only seek to establish the truth but may also pursue "lawsuits against media outlets and figures who spread false information" about her.
The dropping of the drug probe removes one element of the case, but the more serious charge of "glorifying terrorism" remains, with proceedings expected to continue in the coming months.