French judiciary warns of attacks against Bobigny judge Youssef Badr

The President of the Paris Court of Appeal has expressed serious concern regarding a campaign of personal attacks and threats against Youssef Badr, a judge at the Bobigny court. The backlash follows a recent issue of the far-right magazine Frontières, which accused Badr of political bias.

Earlier in June 2026, Badr presided over a case involving Erik Tegnér, the founder of Frontières. The court convicted Tegnér of endangering others after the publication released the personal data and professional contact information of lawyers specializing in immigration law, linking them to political immigration debates. Tegnér received a six-month suspended prison sentence and a 10,000 euro fine, though he has appealed the ruling.

Badr has reported receiving numerous insults and threats on social media. The legal basis for the original conviction stems from a 2021 law passed following the murder of teacher Samuel Paty, which criminalizes the dissemination of personal information when intended to expose individuals to immediate danger. While Tegnér defends the magazine's actions as investigative journalism and a matter of press freedom, judicial authorities view the attacks as unlawful pressure on the judiciary.