Robert Ménard
Encyclopedia
Robert Ménard is one of the founders and the former secretary-general of the Paris
-based international NGO Reporters Sans Frontières.
Ménard came from an old French family which had lived in Algeria since the 1850s. When he was nine years old, the family moved to Brusque
, Aveyron
. He studied religion, and planned on becoming a priest. While in college, he became aligned with Trotskyist elements, and joined the Socialist Party
.
In 1975-1976, Ménard created the pirate radio
station Radio Pomarède and became president of l'Association pour la libération des ondes - The Association for the liberation of the airwaves. He became the target of many lawsuits, in one of which, François Mitterrand
, later President of France gave a character reference. He later created the free magazine Le Petit biterrois but was forced to close it down due to a lack of advertisers. In 1985 he created Reporters Sans Frontières.
A Rue89 post claims Ménard became the focus of significant controversy after an interview with France Culture
in which in response to a question about the case of the kidnapped journalist Daniel Pearl
he made a statement which some have interpreted as saying that the use of torture
could be justified in some circumstances.
On 24 March 2008 Ménard and two other members of Reporters Sans Frontières were arrested for attempting to disrupt the lighting of the Olympic Flame
prior to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. The disruption was aimed at protesting the crackdown on Tibet
an civil rights
activities by the Government of the People's Republic of China
.
Ménard is also known to have collaborated with fringe Cuban groups in Florida, leading to the revelation that he and Reporters Sans Frontières have received financing by the US Department of State to spread propaganda against Cuba.
Ménard resigned from his role as secretary-general of RSF in September 2008 and became director-general of the Doha Center for Media Freedom
in Qatar
which opened in October 2008. Ménard resigned as director-general of the Center in June 2009, complaining of obstruction by Qatar government officials of the Center's work (notably its criticism of Qatar's restrictive media policies, along with the Center's efforts to bring several persecuted journalists to Qatar for temporary refuge), despite earlier assurances that it would be allowed to operate freely. The Center then ceased functioning.
Ménard is married to Emmanuelle Duverger. They have two children.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
-based international NGO Reporters Sans Frontières.
Ménard came from an old French family which had lived in Algeria since the 1850s. When he was nine years old, the family moved to Brusque
Brusque, Aveyron
Brusque is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Aveyron
Aveyron
Aveyron is a département in southern France named after the Aveyron River.- History :Aveyron is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790....
. He studied religion, and planned on becoming a priest. While in college, he became aligned with Trotskyist elements, and joined the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
.
In 1975-1976, Ménard created the pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
station Radio Pomarède and became president of l'Association pour la libération des ondes - The Association for the liberation of the airwaves. He became the target of many lawsuits, in one of which, François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
, later President of France gave a character reference. He later created the free magazine Le Petit biterrois but was forced to close it down due to a lack of advertisers. In 1985 he created Reporters Sans Frontières.
A Rue89 post claims Ménard became the focus of significant controversy after an interview with France Culture
France Culture
France Culture is a French public radio channel and part of Radio France. Its programming encompasses a wide variety of features on historical, philosophical, sociopolitical, and scientific themes , as well as literary readings, radio plays, and experimental productions...
in which in response to a question about the case of the kidnapped journalist Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl was an American journalist who was kidnapped and killed by Al-Qaeda.At the time of his kidnapping, Pearl served as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, and was based in Mumbai, India. He went to Pakistan as part of an investigation into the alleged links between...
he made a statement which some have interpreted as saying that the use of torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
could be justified in some circumstances.
On 24 March 2008 Ménard and two other members of Reporters Sans Frontières were arrested for attempting to disrupt the lighting of the Olympic Flame
Olympic Flame
The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928...
prior to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. The disruption was aimed at protesting the crackdown on Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activities by the Government of the People's Republic of China
Government of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
.
Ménard is also known to have collaborated with fringe Cuban groups in Florida, leading to the revelation that he and Reporters Sans Frontières have received financing by the US Department of State to spread propaganda against Cuba.
Ménard resigned from his role as secretary-general of RSF in September 2008 and became director-general of the Doha Center for Media Freedom
Doha Center for Media Freedom
The Doha Center for Media Freedom is an international institution formally created on December 7, 2007 by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and opened in October 2008 in Doha, Qatar...
in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
which opened in October 2008. Ménard resigned as director-general of the Center in June 2009, complaining of obstruction by Qatar government officials of the Center's work (notably its criticism of Qatar's restrictive media policies, along with the Center's efforts to bring several persecuted journalists to Qatar for temporary refuge), despite earlier assurances that it would be allowed to operate freely. The Center then ceased functioning.
Ménard is married to Emmanuelle Duverger. They have two children.
Works
- (with Emmanuelle Duverger) La Censure des Bien-Pensants - Liberté d'Expression: L'Exception Française, Éditions Albin MichelÉditions Albin MichelÉditions Albin Michel is a French publisher. It was founded in 1911 by Albin Michel.-External links:*...
, 2003 - "Vive Le Pen !", Mordicus, 2011