The board of La Sentinelle Ltd met on Thursday 28 September to approve its yearly financial statements. The board has taken account of the traumatic and painful moments that journalists from l’express and the rest of the staff have gone through over the last days. It first wishes to express its solidarity towards the journalists who were only seeking to honour their professional commitment to inform their readers, regardless of the risks.

In the circumstances, with undeniable documentary evidence, they revealed to the country an action of the former Attorney General, which seemed to them to be a serious political mistake. Even if, in the quest for the truth, for the benefit of their readers, they should not have strictly respected best practice, it would be a professional mistake that could in no way be equated to a criminal case justifying the inopportune manoeuvres of the police and its demonstration of force.

For the sake of protecting the freedom to report, our jurisprudence has already established that even if an information is erroneous, it must still be established whether it was published “unreasonably and without honest belief that it was truthful…”. Based on the documentary evidence produced by the whistleblower, the journalists of l’express had every reason to believe that the facts were “truthful”. The former Attorney General has even admitted his involvement.

The board has, however, surmised that the modus operandi of investigative journalism that La Sentinelle wants to promote more actively, requires additional thought. Proposals are currently being considered and our readers, the only ones to whom we are accountable, will be kept informed in due time.

The board would like to thank all those who have, in large numbers, offered their support. For more than 50 years, La Sentinelle has been leading the same fight to serve the Nation.”