Retrial for French student accused of making pro-Hamas speech
A French student accused of making a speech supporting the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel will face retrial in September.
Sarah Cotte, 22, is accused of addressing a crowd at SOAS University of London in October 2023 with a speech which invited support for Hamas.
She is said to have made the speech on the steps of the School of Oriental and African Studies University of London, where she was studying politics, philosophy and economics, on 9 October 2023.
She was the secretary of the ‘Fight Racism Fight Imperialism’ group at the university.
She was also accused of posting comments on the group’s WhatsApp chat on 16 October 2023.
Cotte, of Munster Square, Camden, denies expressing support for a proscribed organisation.
Her retrial was fixed for 14 September.
Judge Richard Marks, KC, the Common Serjeant of London, earlier varied Cotte’s bail conditions allowing her to travel internationally if she gives seven days notice to the prosecution and returns her passport to them when she returns.
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