The French investigative journalist has faced years of legal proceedings following the publication of the ‘Egypt Papers’, an investigation that exposed a covert French intelligence operation in Egypt and alleged French complicity in airstrikes that killed hundreds of civilians, for the independent outlet Disclose.
The Paris Court of Appeals has ordered Ariane Lavrilleux’s case to be reinvestigated following a request from the Paris public prosecutor’s office. Although Lavrilleux was cleared of all charges in October 2025, this latest development could lead to a potential indictment of the investigative journalist as well as questioning of other contributors to the “Egypt Papers” investigation, for which she was detained.
Commenting on the Paris Court of Appeals decision and interviewed by RSF, Lavrilleux said: “The absurd surveillance, the police officers staking out Disclose — I thought all that was behind us. But the harassment continues and is intensifying. My colleagues now risk living what I’ve gone through. The renewed hunt for our sources is intended to intimidate anyone seeking to publish information in the public interest on military or national security issues. Cases like mine could now multiply, and many other journalists and whistleblowers could face harassment. We must continue to mobilise, and we remain determined to carry on with our investigations.”
Read about her case and the ‘Egypt Papers’ here.
