France: CFWIJ Demands Immediate Action Against Repeated Threats To Christine Kelly’s Safety

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December 7, 2021, France- Christine Kelly, a presenter for CNews, has filed a complaint through her lawyer seeking action against repeated death threats and telephone harassment. Christine has faced threats since 2019 and matters escalated last month, when she received an email threatening her with beheading. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is extremely concerned for Christine’s safety and demands immediate action against the anonymous senders of these threats. The authorities must ensure protection of the journalist. We extend support to Christine, who is under extreme duress. 

The French journalist, who hosts the news program Face à l'info, was sent an anonymous email on November 18, 2021. The sender threatened the journalist with beheading in a deeply gendered and vile email. 

“The will [want] to see me beheaded, the determination to send it to me by email will not change the ideas of each other. Everyone remains free. With or without me,” she wrote in a Twitter post that day.

"The ax will inevitably fall on your shapely head,” media reports quoted the threatening email as saying. Christine’s complaint mentioned the threats received via phone, email and post. 

The journalist has been reportedly diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after continued threats to her life. “My client is really scared for her life,” said her lawyer Arash Derambarsh, warning that his client will no longer let "anything pass".

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is deeply concerned for Christine Kelly’s safety. We extend solidarity to Christine and call for an immediate investigation into the repeated threats to the journalist. The French authorities must take swift action and ensure that the perpetrators are taken to task.