French press review 15 February 2013

The widening horsemeat-for-beef scandal is dominating French newspaper coverage. Also, an exclusive interview with an African-American journalist in jail for murdering a policeman.

Both the left leaning Libération and the conservative Le Figaro are leading with the food scandal in Europe where horse meat from Romania was passed off as beef in ready made meals.

Libération called it "the recipe for sabotage". The French food supplier Spanghero has had its licence suspended after a French fraud investigation found the company changed the labels on the Romanian meat from horse to beef. Libé wonders whether this scandal will be enough to bring about change in the food industry. A survey found 41% of French people no longer want to purchase nor eat products from brands involved in the scandal, such as French frozen food retailer Picard and Swedish brand Findus. Some people have even gone as far as to request that these brands be banned. Libé believes it is time to reassess the food industry.

France's minister of social economy, Benoît Hamon, has cleared Romania of any blame, saying the abattoirs there had properly labelled its horsemeat. Hamon is quoted as saying this trafficking may have been going on for at least 6 months.

Le Figaro says the deception has been on a European scale and relays Hamon's call for improved food traceability. It describes Spangero as one of the main villains in this case. Some 750 tonnes of horse meat was delivered to Spangero, who then supplied it to Comigel.

Le Figaro also has an article on Romania's horsemeat industry. One Romanian horse owner is quoted as saying he'd happily sell 10 horses for 150 euros per horse for the meat. He can even get the meat ready in his own backyard. Journalists were invited to visit the Romanian abattoirs that supplied meat to France, and shown documents stating the meat left the abattoirs clearly labelled as horse.

L'humanité dedicated its top story to an exclusive interview with Mumia Abu Jamal, an African-American journalist fighting for his freedom. He has been in jail since 1982, convicted of murdering a policeman. He has always denied the crime. Initially sentenced to death, it was changed to a life sentence in 2011 after an international campaign.

As a journalist, he was known for speaking out against corruption among police and local authorities. He has continued to write books and read avidly during his time in prison. There are suggestions that, with a number of police officers admitting to giving false witness accounts during his first trail, that the case could be reopened.

L’humanité writes that Abu Jamal’s fight has become a symbol for the abolition of the death penalty. Asked how he continues to work as a journalist in prison, he said that 2,200 inmates means there are 2,200 stories to be told. When asked about the massive technological changes the world has witnessed during his incarceration, he said he feels like a dinosaur. Despite everything, he said he feels like he is always surrounded by love.