In the early hours of Tuesday, 22 April, French police violently arrested independent journalist and pro-Palestinian activist Shahin Hazamy at his home, traumatising his wife and their two young children, aged just one and three.

At around 6:14am, a squad of masked officers stormed the family’s residence without warning. They broke down the front door, shouting as they entered, spreading fear and panic throughout the household. Hazamy was handcuffed and detained in front of his frightened children before being taken into custody. A house search was conducted, yet no clear explanation was provided at the time.

Those close to Hazamy say the arrest is part of an escalating campaign of intimidation due to his vocal support for Palestine and his public criticisms of government policy. They believe authorities are seeking to silence him by placing him under legal pressure and subjecting him to public humiliation.

Hazamy had also been closely following the case of Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian academic detained for over six weeks in one of France’s most notorious prisons—another instance where independent voices have been essential in bringing attention to otherwise silenced stories.

What becomes increasingly clear is the uncomfortable power of independent media to expose uncomfortable truths. In today’s climate, solidarity with the oppressed is treated as a threat, and speaking out is met not with dialogue, but with repression. In such a world, telling the truth has become an act of resistance.