Former candidate for legislative elections arrested for "apologizing for terrorism"

PARIS, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Stephane Poussier, a former candidate for the 2017 legislative elections of France Insoumise, a far-left French party, was arrested and placed in police custody on Sunday for "apologizing for terrorism" , French television channel BFMTV reported.

Poussier insulted via tweet the death of the French gendarme Arnaud Beltrame, who voluntarily swapped himself for a female hostage during the terrorist attack that took place last Friday in the department of Aude in southwestern France and sacrificed his life due to serious injuries.

Poussier described by "what an idiot" the gendarme who "had fallen as a hero", as French President Emmanuel Macron said.

These comments have sparked a public outcry on social networks, said BFMTV, adding that France Insoumise and its representatives immediately dissociated and condemned these remarks.

"The apologizing for terrorism" is punished to the maximum of five years' imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 euros, according to BFMTV.

The terrorist attacks which happened Friday in France has caused totaly five deaths, including Beltrame, three other civil people, and the terrorist himself. Sixteen people have been injured in the attacks, accoding to French official statistics. Enditem