Cédric Herrou
File:Cédric Herrou en conférence après son film.jpg
Cédric Herrou is a French olive farmer and immigration activist. He became known in France and internationally following his arrests for helping more than 250 migrants cross into France from Italy. Herrou's efforts have been described in the media as the "French Underground railroad".{{cite web|last1=Nossiter|first1=Adam|title=A French Underground Railroad, Moving African Migrants|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/05/world/europe/france-italy-migrants-smuggling.html|website=The New York Times|date=2016-10-04|accessdate=6 January 2017}}{{cite web|last1=Stampler|first1=Laura|title=France's Underground Railroad Helps African Migrants|date=2016-10-05|url=http://www.teenvogue.com/story/french-underground-railroad-helps-african-migrants|website=Teen Vogue|accessdate=6 January 2017}} After numerous convictions for assisting migrants to cross the border, Herrou's actions were found to be legal by the French Constitutional Council, which found Herrou's actions to be covered under the constitutional exercise of fraternity to others.
Life
Herrou was born in 1979 in Nice, France and is an olive farmer in the area of Breil-sur-Roya.{{cite web|last1=Morvan|first1=Vincent-Xavier|title=Jugé pour avoir aidé des migrants, il revendique son acte|date=2017-01-04|url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2017/01/04/01016-20170104ARTFIG00365-juge-pour-avoir-aide-des-migrants-il-revendique-son-acte.php|website=Le Figaro|accessdate=6 January 2017}}{{cite web|title=Sur la route avec un agriculteur qui fait traverser la frontière italienne à des migrants|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/immigration-et-diversite/video/2016/10/14/sur-la-route-avec-un-agriculteur-qui-fait-traverser-la-frontiere-italienne-a-des-migrants_5014150_1654200.html|date=2016-10-14|website=Le Monde|accessdate=6 January 2017}}{{cite web|last1=Nossiter|first1=Adam|title=When Journalism Meets Civil Disobedience|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/insider/when-journalism-meets-civil-disobedience.html|website=The New York Times|accessdate=22 January 2017|date=2017-01-19}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2017/apr/28/the-valley-rebels-the-french-farmer-helping-refugees-cross-europe-video|title=The valley rebels: the French farmer helping refugees cross Europe – video|first1=Charlie|last1=Phillips|first2=Lindsay|last2=Poulton|first3=Spencer|last3=Wolff|publisher=}}
In 2015, Herrou began regularly crossing the French-Italian border near his farm to offer assistance to refugees wishing to enter France.{{cite web|last1=Urbach|first1=Émilien|title=Cédric Herrou: " C’est l’État qui est dans l’illégalité, pas moi "|date=2017-01-04|url=https://www.humanite.fr/cedric-herrou-cest-letat-qui-est-dans-lillegalite-pas-moi-629732|website=L'Humanité|accessdate=6 January 2017}} He has been arrested several times for doing this.
Arrests and prosecution
In August 2016, Herrou was arrested while transporting eight migrants in his van across the Italian-French border.{{cite web|last1=Bell|first1=Melissa|last2=Smith-Spark|first2=Laura|title=French farmer on trial for helping migrants: 'My job is feeding people'|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/05/europe/france-farmer-migrants-trial/|date=2017-01-05|website=CNN|accessdate=6 January 2017}} After concluding that Herrou's intent was humanitarian, the French prosecutor in Nice declined to press charges.
On October 20, 2016, Herrou was arrested after he and three other activists occupied the former SNCF railway station Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende, near Tende, France. Herrou was assisting fifty migrants, principally from Eritrea and the Sudan, to cross into France from the Italian city of Ventimiglia and housing them at the disused railway station.{{cite web|title=French farmer on trial for helping migrants across Italian border|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/04/french-farmer-cedric-herrou-trial-helping-migrants-italian-border|date=2017-01-04|website=The Guardian|accessdate=6 January 2017}}{{cite web|title=Nice: Cédric Herrou jugé pour avoir aidé des migrants|url=http://www.francesoir.fr/societe-faits-divers/nice-cedric-herrou-juge-pour-avoir-aide-des-migrants-proces|website=France Soir|date=2017-01-04|accessdate=6 January 2017|archive-date=2017-08-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193635/http://www.francesoir.fr/societe-faits-divers/nice-cedric-herrou-juge-pour-avoir-aide-des-migrants-proces|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |last1=Dodman |first1=Benjamin |last2=Chebil|first2=Mehdi|title=French farmer’s trial puts rebel valley helping migrants in spotlight |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20170104-france-farmer-herrou-trial-migrants-smuggling-roya-valley-italy |website=france24.com |date=2017-01-04|accessdate=6 January 2017}} The prosecutor, who called Herrou's actions "noble", requested an eight-month suspended sentence. The actual sentence is expected to be handed down by the court on February 10, 2017.{{cite web|title=Il avait aidé des migrants : huit mois de prison requis, à Nice, contre Cédric Herrou |url=http://www.leparisien.fr/societe/pour-avoir-aide-des-migrants-cedric-herrou-juge-a-nice-pour-sa-solidarite-04-01-2017-6524820.php |date=2017-01-04|website=Le Parisien|accessdate=6 January 2017}}{{cite web |last1=Sifaule |first1=Adéle |title=Cédric Herrou, le procès d’un geste d’humanité|url=http://www.liberation.fr/france/2017/01/04/cedric-herrou-le-proces-d-un-geste-d-humanite_1539167|date=2017-01-04|website=Liberation.fr}}
On January 18, 2017 Herrou was taken into custody by local police, with his brother and one other person, for assisting three Eritrean migrants in crossing the border into France.{{cite web|title=Aide aux migrants: Cédric Herrou replacé en garde à vue|url=http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/societe/aide-aux-migrants-cedric-herrou-replace-en-garde-a-vue_1870512.html|website=L'express|date=19 January 2017|accessdate=22 January 2017}}{{cite web|title=Aide aux migrants : Cédric Herrou sort de sa nouvelle garde à vue sans poursuites|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2017/01/19/aide-aux-migrants-l-agriculteur-cedric-herrou-de-nouveau-en-garde-a-vue_5065230_3224.html|website=Le Monde|date=19 January 2017|accessdate=22 January 2017}} They were released on January 20 without charges being filed.
On 10 February 2017, a trial court in Nice convicted Herrou for aiding illegal arrivals and of fined him €3,000.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/10/cedric-herrou-farmer-given-suspended-3000-fine-for-helping-migrants-enter-france|title=Farmer given suspended €3,000 fine for helping migrants enter France|publisher=The Guardian|date=10 February 2017}}
On July 6, 2018, the French Constitutional Council ruled that Herrou's actions to help migrants were legal, since the principle of fraternity in the French constitution specifically "confers the freedom to help others, for humanitarian purposes, regardless of the legality of their presence on national territory."{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/06/world/europe/france-migrants-farmer-fraternity.html|title=‘Fraternité’ Brings Immunity for Migrant Advocate in France|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=http://www.conseil-constitutionnel.fr/conseil-constitutionnel/francais/les-decisions/acces-par-date/decisions-depuis-1959/2018/2018-717/718-qpc/communique-de-presse.151722.html|title=Conseil Constitutionnel|first=|last=NEXINT|date=6 July 2018|website=www.conseil-constitutionnel.fr}}{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/french-court-rules-in-favor-of-humanitarian-aid-to-illegal-migrants-1530906461|title=French Court Rules in Favor of Humanitarian Aid to Illegal Migrants|first1=Josh|last1=Jacobs|first2=Sam|last2=Schechner|date=6 July 2018|publisher=|via=www.wsj.com}}
On May 13, 2020, the Appeals Court of Lyon voided all charges against Herrou.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/13/french-court-scraps-olive-farmers-conviction-for-helping-migrants-cross-border|title=
French court scraps farmer’s conviction for helping migrants cross border|publisher=The Guardian|date=13 May 2020|accessdate=14 May 2020}} On March 31, 2021, the Appeal in Cassation of the General Prosecutor's Office of Lyon is rejected by the Court of Cassation makes the activist's relaxation final.{{cite web|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/police-justice/article/2021/03/31/symbole-de-l-aide-aux-migrants-en-france-cedric-herrou-relaxe-definitivement_6075129_1653578.html|title=
Symbole de l’aide aux migrants en France, Cédric Herrou relaxé définitivement|website=Le Monde|date=31 March 2021}}
Public reaction
Herrou's actions raised the interest of the French public. Arriving for his trial in January 2017 in Nice, he was met by the applause of hundreds of members of the public who supported his actions as well as some who did not.{{cite web|last1=Quioc|first1=Margaid|date=2017-01-04|title=French farmer faces risk of prison for helping migrants|url=http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/crime/article/French-farmer-faces-risk-of-prison-for-helping-10834126.php|website=SF Chronicle|accessdate=6 January 2017}}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|last1=Nossiter|first1=Adam|title=Farmer on Trial Defends Smuggling Migrants: ‘I Am a Frenchman.’ |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/05/world/europe/cedric-herrou-migrant-smuggler-trial-france.html|date=2017-01-05|website=The New York Times|accessdate=6 January 2017}} That same month, an editorial addressing Herrou as well as the issues raised by his actions was published by the editorial board of The New York Times.{{cite web|last1=Editorial Board|title=French Fraternity and Migrants|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/17/opinion/french-fraternity-and-migrants.html|website=New York Times|accessdate=22 January 2017|date=2017-01-17}}
See also
References
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External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyN6TxpjB90 The Valley Rebels]: a documentary on Cédric Herrou produced by The Guardian
- [https://defendstacitoyennete.fr/de-cedric-herrou-president-de-dtc Statement by Herrou on the Défends ta citoyenneté website] (in French)
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