French Court Acquits Two Activists Over Sainte-Soline Protest Inquiry

The activists had refused to testify before a parliamentary commission investigating violent protests against water reservoir projects in 2023.

Two members of the environmental group Soulèvements de la Terre were acquitted by a Paris court after refusing to appear before a parliamentary inquiry into protests at Sainte-Soline.
The activists, Basile Dutertre and Léna Lazare, faced potential prison sentences, fines, and civic rights bans but were cleared due to procedural and evidentiary issues.
The protests at Sainte-Soline in March 2023, against controversial water reservoir projects, resulted in violent clashes with police and numerous injuries, including two protesters who were hospitalized in comas.
The parliamentary inquiry, established in May 2023, sought to investigate violent demonstrations linked to environmental and social issues, including opposition to the water reservoirs and pension reform.
The Sainte-Soline water reservoir project was declared illegal in December 2024 by an appellate court, citing threats to a protected bird species, the little bustard.