Pierre Péan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pierre Péan
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 5 March 1938 Sablé-sur-Sarthe, France
|
| Died | 25 July 2019 (aged 81) Argenteuil, France
|
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Pierre Péan (born March 5, 1938 – died July 25, 2019) was a French investigative journalist. He wrote many books about important political events and sometimes about disagreements or problems in politics.
Contents
A Book That Caused Controversy
In September 2008, Pierre Péan went to court in Paris. He was involved in a legal case because of a book he wrote about the Rwandan genocide. This was a terrible event in 1994 where about 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis and some Hutus, were killed in Rwanda.
Why the Book Caused Problems
Péan's book, called "Noires Fureurs, Blancs Menteurs" (which means "Black Furies, White Liars"), was published in 2005. Some parts of his book were seen as very upsetting.
A French group called SOS Racisme (which works against racism) started the lawsuit in October 2006. They felt that certain statements in Péan's book were harmful.
The Court Case
The trial happened from September 23 to 25, 2008. During the trial, several people spoke to support Pierre Péan. These included two former French government ministers, Hubert Védrine and Bernard Debré.
Pierre Péan explained that for three years, he had felt like he was under a cloud of suspicion. He said people had called him a racist or someone who denied the genocide. The trial was very emotional for him.
The Verdict
In November 2008, the court decided to dismiss the case against Pierre Péan. This meant he was not found responsible for the accusations.
His lawyer said that this decision was a "victory for freedom of expression." It meant that people could have a real discussion about difficult topics. However, SOS Racisme said they would appeal the court's decision, meaning they wanted the case to be looked at again by a higher court.
See also
- Pan Am Flight 103 conspiracy theories
- Hans Köchler's Lockerbie trial observer mission
- Ulrich Lumpert
- Complaint against Péan on charges of "revisionism" following his publication of Noires fureurs, blancs menteurs
