French lawmaker Sébastien Delogu was released from police custody in Marseille late on Thursday evening following hours of questioning over an alleged contempt incident.
The member of the National Assembly for the left-wing party La France Insoumise left the central police station in Marseille shortly before 11pm accompanied by his lawyer, Yones Taguelmint. Delogu exited the building through a rear door and entered a taxi without speaking to reporters waiting outside.
Taguelmint told Agence France-Presse that police custody had been lifted and confirmed that no public statement would be made on Thursday night. The Marseille public prosecutor's office stated that the lawmaker had been detained since early afternoon under an in-flagrante investigation for insulting a person holding public authority.
Legal Summons and Upcoming Proceedings
Taguelmint confirmed that Delogu has received a legal summons to appear in court on November 13 to face the contempt charge. Under French law, an in-flagrante investigation allows prosecutors and law enforcement to act immediately following an alleged offense and hold individuals for formal questioning.
The November court date adds to the lawmaker's existing legal schedule. Delogu is already scheduled to appear in court on October 21 regarding a separate case involving social media posts. In that matter, he shared personal documents belonging to an entrepreneur whom he accused of having ties to Israel.
Delogu serves as a deputy in the National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament, representing a constituency in Marseille. He belongs to La France Insoumise, a prominent left-wing political movement founded in 2016. Marseille, located in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, is France's second-most populous city and the regional capital of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
Building Dispute and Competing Complaints
The detention stemmed from an incident on Monday involving Delogu and three plainclothes police officers. The officers had arrived at the MP's residential building in Marseille to arrest a suspect living in the same complex who was sought in connection with a watch theft investigation.
According to Delogu's account of the event, the officers did not state their official identity when attempting to enter the building. The lawmaker refused to grant them access, and the interaction escalated shortly afterward when Delogu encountered the officers again on his apartment landing.
Following the altercation, the three police officers lodged a formal complaint against Delogu for contempt of a public official. In response, Delogu filed a legal complaint against unknown persons for verbal insults and physical violence. Under French jurisprudence, filing a complaint against unknown persons allows judicial authorities to investigate claims where the identities of specific offenders remain to be formally designated.
Shortly after his release from the central police station on Thursday night, Delogu posted an image of a white heart on a black background to his Instagram account, accompanied by a message stating that everything was fine.
