Trump weighs involvement as Israel launches fresh strikes on Iran

President Donald Trump warned he was weighing US military action against Iran, as Israel launched fresh strikes against Tehran on Thursday.As the war entered its seventh day, Israel’s military said it was striking Tehran and other parts of Iran, but all eyes were on whether Washington would enter the fray.Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meanwhile rejected Trump’s demand for an “unconditional surrender”, despite claims from the US leader that “Iran’s got a lot of trouble and they want to negotiate”.Trump has left his intentions on joining the conflict deliberately ambiguous, saying Wednesday: “I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do.””The next week is going to be very big,” he added, without further details. The White House said Trump would receive an intelligence briefing on Thursday, a US holiday. Top US diplomat Marco Rubio meanwhile will meet his UK counterpart for talks expected to focus on the conflict.”I have ideas as to what to do, but I haven’t made a final (decision),” Trump said. “I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due, because things change. Especially with war.”The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had told aides on Tuesday he had approved attack plans but was holding off to see if Iran would give up its nuclear programme.Trump told reporters that Iranian officials “want to come to the White House”, a claim denied by Tehran.The US president had favoured a diplomatic route to end Iran’s nuclear programme, seeking a deal to replace the agreement he tore up in his first term.But since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unleashed the campaign against Iran one week ago, Trump has stood behind the key US ally.The United States is the only country with the “bunker buster” bombs needed to destroy Iran’s Fordow nuclear plant, but US military action is deeply unpopular with parts of Trump’s base.Khamenei on Wednesday insisted Iran “will never surrender,” and called Trump’s ultimatum “unacceptable”.”America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage,” Khamenei added.- Dozens of civilians killed -A week of strikes has significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear and military installations, including buildings making and testing centrifuge components in Karaj and Tehran.Centrifuges are vital for uranium enrichment, the sensitive process that can produce fuel for reactors or, in highly extended form, the core of a nuclear warhead.Iranian strikes have also caused damage in Israel, where at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds wounded, according to Netanyahu’s office.Iran said Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not issued an updated toll since then.On Thursday morning, Israel said it was carrying out fresh strikes on Tehran and other parts of Iran, and warned civilians in two villages, Arak and Khondab, to leave ahead of new attacks.Those strikes came after Israel said it had destroyed Iran’s internal security headquarters in Tehran, and Iran unleashed Fattah hypersonic missiles and so-called super-heavy, long-range missiles.An Israeli military official, who asked not to be named, said Wednesday that Iran had fired around 400 ballistic missiles and 1,000 drones since the conflict began on Friday. About 20 missiles had struck civilian areas in Israel, the official added.Israel says its surprise air campaign is aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.Iran theoretically has enough near-weapons-grade material, if further refined, for more than nine bombs, but it denies seeking nuclear weapons.Israel has maintained ambiguity on its own atomic activities, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says it has 90 nuclear warheads.- ‘Immediate de-escalation’ -Israel’s strikes have prompted mass evacuations and food and fuel shortages in Iran.”There are shortages of rice, bread, sugar and tea,” a 40-year-old Iranian driver told AFP at the Iraqi border crossing of Bashmakh, seeking anonymity for fear of reprisals.”People are shocked and distraught, they don’t know what they should do,” said a car dealer in the Iranian city of Bukan who also asked not to be identified by his real name.There was also a “near-total national internet blackout” in Iran on Wednesday, a London-based watchdog said, with Iran’s Fars news agency confirming heavier internet restrictions after initial curbs imposed last week.The military campaign has sparked calls for a return to diplomacy, with UN chief Antonio Guterres on Thursday urging an “immediate de-escalation” and efforts to avoid “further internationalisation of the conflict.”Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that a deal to guarantee both Israel’s security and Iran’s desire for a civilian nuclear programme was possible.”I believe it would be good for all of us together to look for ways to stop the fighting and seek ways for the participants in the conflict to find an agreement,” he told foreign journalists at a televised event.He said Iran had not asked Russia for military help.Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country remains committed to diplomacy, noting Iran “has so far only retaliated against the Israeli regime and not those who are aiding and abetting it”.But there were lingering questions about how the conflict could evolve, with Trump telling reporters that a change in Iran’s government “could happen”, a day after he had boasted that Washington could assassinate Khamenei, but would not, “at least not for now”.burs-sah/lb

Nippon, US Steel complete partnership deal

Nippon Steel and US Steel said Wednesday they had completed a long-debated transaction granting the US government a “golden share” — a veto-like power over the Japanese company’s strategic decisions.The agreement modifies a transaction originally announced in December 2023, in which Nippon Steel agreed to acquire US Steel for $14.9 billion. But the outright buyout of the iconic US company sparked bipartisan political opposition, including from President Donald Trump.Trump, who railed against the proposed deal throughout the 2024 presidential campaign, last month announced a pivot, branding the revamped venture as a “planned partnership.”And the US government will now have a say on Nippon’s plans for US infrastructure and jobs through its golden share.Nippon Steel CEO Eiji Hashimoto said Thursday in Tokyo that this “won’t hinder activities that we hope to conduct.”A national security agreement between the companies and Washington also provides that approximately $11 billion in new investments will be made by 2028.”The agreement is fully satisfactory to us, as it ensures the management freedom and re-producibility that are essential for business investment,” Hashimoto told reporters.”We intend to start implementing measures for revitalisation and development as soon as possible,” he said, promising not to “transfer jobs and production sites elsewhere.”Nippon Steel shares surged 4.6 percent Thursday morning, even as Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei index slumped 0.7 percent.Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick, a Republican, thanked Trump on X and called the outcome “a massive victory for working families in the Mon Valley, our economy, our national security, and America’s manufacturing future!”But the United Steelworkers (USW) union, which vigorously fought the deal, vowed to “continue watching, holding Nippon to its commitments,” according to a statement.”And we will use the most powerful tool workers have against global corporations: collective bargaining.”- ‘World-leading capabilities’ -Under the December 2023 transaction, Nippon agreed to pay $55 per share for US Steel — an all-cash deal that included a 40 percent premium and pitched the combined company as the “best steelmaker with world-leading capabilities.”While the agreement included a pledge to maintain the name US Steel and the company’s Pittsburgh headquarters, industry watchers expected an exodus of executives.But the deal sparked bitter opposition from the USW and a broad range of politicians, including then-president Joe Biden and former Ohio senator JD Vance — now Trump’s vice president.So Nippon stepped up its lobbying efforts in Washington and Pittsburgh to win support for a transaction that appeared for months to be on life support.Biden blocked the transaction in early January, shortly before leaving office. He said that placing “one of America’s largest steel producers under foreign control” could “create risk for our national security and our critical supply chains.”But backers of the deal had been hoping the political climate shift following Trump’s election victory over Biden’s vice president Kamala Harris might help revive it.Besides agreeing to keep US Steel’s Pittsburgh headquarters and to maintain US production, the revamped deal’s national security agreement calls for a majority of US Steel’s board to be US citizens, as are key leaders including the CEO.The government’s “golden share” will allow it the right to appoint one independent director and grant it consent rights for proposed capital budget cuts, the redomiciling of activities outside the United States and on acquisitions in the country.The “golden share” does not entitle the US government to dividends, nor does it require Washington to make investments in the company.

Nippon, US Steel complete partnership deal

Nippon Steel and US Steel said Wednesday they had completed a long-debated transaction granting the US government a “golden share” — a veto-like power over the Japanese company’s strategic decisions.The agreement modifies a transaction originally announced in December 2023, in which Nippon Steel agreed to acquire US Steel for $14.9 billion. But the outright buyout of the iconic US company sparked bipartisan political opposition, including from President Donald Trump.Trump, who railed against the proposed deal throughout the 2024 presidential campaign, last month announced a pivot, branding the revamped venture as a “planned partnership.”And the US government will now have a say on Nippon’s plans for US infrastructure and jobs through its golden share.Nippon Steel CEO Eiji Hashimoto said Thursday in Tokyo that this “won’t hinder activities that we hope to conduct.”A national security agreement between the companies and Washington also provides that approximately $11 billion in new investments will be made by 2028.”The agreement is fully satisfactory to us, as it ensures the management freedom and re-producibility that are essential for business investment,” Hashimoto told reporters.”We intend to start implementing measures for revitalisation and development as soon as possible,” he said, promising not to “transfer jobs and production sites elsewhere.”Nippon Steel shares surged 4.6 percent Thursday morning, even as Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei index slumped 0.7 percent.Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick, a Republican, thanked Trump on X and called the outcome “a massive victory for working families in the Mon Valley, our economy, our national security, and America’s manufacturing future!”But the United Steelworkers (USW) union, which vigorously fought the deal, vowed to “continue watching, holding Nippon to its commitments,” according to a statement.”And we will use the most powerful tool workers have against global corporations: collective bargaining.”- ‘World-leading capabilities’ -Under the December 2023 transaction, Nippon agreed to pay $55 per share for US Steel — an all-cash deal that included a 40 percent premium and pitched the combined company as the “best steelmaker with world-leading capabilities.”While the agreement included a pledge to maintain the name US Steel and the company’s Pittsburgh headquarters, industry watchers expected an exodus of executives.But the deal sparked bitter opposition from the USW and a broad range of politicians, including then-president Joe Biden and former Ohio senator JD Vance — now Trump’s vice president.So Nippon stepped up its lobbying efforts in Washington and Pittsburgh to win support for a transaction that appeared for months to be on life support.Biden blocked the transaction in early January, shortly before leaving office. He said that placing “one of America’s largest steel producers under foreign control” could “create risk for our national security and our critical supply chains.”But backers of the deal had been hoping the political climate shift following Trump’s election victory over Biden’s vice president Kamala Harris might help revive it.Besides agreeing to keep US Steel’s Pittsburgh headquarters and to maintain US production, the revamped deal’s national security agreement calls for a majority of US Steel’s board to be US citizens, as are key leaders including the CEO.The government’s “golden share” will allow it the right to appoint one independent director and grant it consent rights for proposed capital budget cuts, the redomiciling of activities outside the United States and on acquisitions in the country.The “golden share” does not entitle the US government to dividends, nor does it require Washington to make investments in the company.

Trump on Iran strikes: ‘I may do it, I may not do it’

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was still deciding whether to join Israel’s strikes on Iran, claiming Tehran now wants talks at the White House but may have waited too long.Trump held his second Situation Room meeting in two days with his national security team as he left the world guessing about his potential order of military action.”I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Trump told reporters at the unveiling of one of two giant new flagpoles at the White House.”I can tell you this, that Iran’s got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate.”He added that “the next week is going to be very big” when it comes to determining Iran’s fate.The White House said Trump would be briefed in the Situation Room again on Thursday, a holiday in the United States.Trump’s comments came after the Islamic republic’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected his demands for an unconditional surrender and warned the United States of “irreparable damage” if it intervenes.A day after saying Khamenei was an “easy target”, Trump told AFP in the Oval Office that a change of leadership in Tehran “could happen.”But Republican Trump, who faces opposition from the isolationist wing of his support base to joining any more foreign wars, insisted that he had not yet made up his mind on whether to take US action.”I have ideas as to what to do, but I haven’t made a final (decision),” Trump said. “I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due, because things change. Especially with war.”The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had told aides on Tuesday he had approved attack plans for Iran but was holding off to see if Iran would give up its nuclear program. “All options are on the table,” a White House official told AFP when asked about the report.Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Thursday in Washington with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, the State Department said, for talks expected to focus on Iran.- ‘Very late’ -Trump appeared to be in no hurry to reach what would be one of the most consequential decisions of his presidency — spending more than an hour dealing with the installation of his new flagpoles. He said Iran was reaching out to try to strike a deal on its nuclear program to end the conflict with US ally Israel.”They want to come to the White House, I may do that,” Trump said. He added however that it was “very late to be talking… There’s a big difference between now and a week ago.”Iran denied it had offered to send officials to Washington.”No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House,” Iran’s mission to the United Nations posted on X.Trump had favored a diplomatic route to end Iran’s nuclear program, seeking a deal to replace the agreement he tore up in his first term in 2018.But since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched strikes on Iran six days ago Trump has moved in behind the key US ally and is now weighing whether to use American military power against Tehran too.Trump said Wednesday that Iran was “weeks” away from being able to make a nuclear bomb.He noted that the United States is the only country with “bunker buster” bombs capable of taking out Iran’s Fordow nuclear plant “but that doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.” The US president said he had told Netanyahu to “keep going” with Israel’s offensive against Iran, adding that they were speaking every day.Trump however rebuffed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer to mediate in the Israel-Iran conflict, saying Russia should end its own war in Ukraine first.”He actually offered to help mediate, I said ‘do me a favor, mediate your own. Let’s mediate Russia first, okay? You can worry about this later,'” Trump said. 

Trump on Iran strikes: ‘I may do it, I may not do it’

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was still deciding whether to join Israel’s strikes on Iran, claiming Tehran now wants talks at the White House but may have waited too long.Trump held his second Situation Room meeting in two days with his national security team as he left the world guessing about his potential order of military action.”I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Trump told reporters at the unveiling of one of two giant new flagpoles at the White House.”I can tell you this, that Iran’s got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate.”He added that “the next week is going to be very big” when it comes to determining Iran’s fate.The White House said Trump would be briefed in the Situation Room again on Thursday, a holiday in the United States.Trump’s comments came after the Islamic republic’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected his demands for an unconditional surrender and warned the United States of “irreparable damage” if it intervenes.A day after saying Khamenei was an “easy target”, Trump told AFP in the Oval Office that a change of leadership in Tehran “could happen.”But Republican Trump, who faces opposition from the isolationist wing of his support base to joining any more foreign wars, insisted that he had not yet made up his mind on whether to take US action.”I have ideas as to what to do, but I haven’t made a final (decision),” Trump said. “I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due, because things change. Especially with war.”The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had told aides on Tuesday he had approved attack plans for Iran but was holding off to see if Iran would give up its nuclear program. “All options are on the table,” a White House official told AFP when asked about the report.Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Thursday in Washington with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, the State Department said, for talks expected to focus on Iran.- ‘Very late’ -Trump appeared to be in no hurry to reach what would be one of the most consequential decisions of his presidency — spending more than an hour dealing with the installation of his new flagpoles. He said Iran was reaching out to try to strike a deal on its nuclear program to end the conflict with US ally Israel.”They want to come to the White House, I may do that,” Trump said. He added however that it was “very late to be talking… There’s a big difference between now and a week ago.”Iran denied it had offered to send officials to Washington.”No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House,” Iran’s mission to the United Nations posted on X.Trump had favored a diplomatic route to end Iran’s nuclear program, seeking a deal to replace the agreement he tore up in his first term in 2018.But since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched strikes on Iran six days ago Trump has moved in behind the key US ally and is now weighing whether to use American military power against Tehran too.Trump said Wednesday that Iran was “weeks” away from being able to make a nuclear bomb.He noted that the United States is the only country with “bunker buster” bombs capable of taking out Iran’s Fordow nuclear plant “but that doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.” The US president said he had told Netanyahu to “keep going” with Israel’s offensive against Iran, adding that they were speaking every day.Trump however rebuffed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer to mediate in the Israel-Iran conflict, saying Russia should end its own war in Ukraine first.”He actually offered to help mediate, I said ‘do me a favor, mediate your own. Let’s mediate Russia first, okay? You can worry about this later,'” Trump said. 

Un trafic d’espèces protégées d’oiseaux au cœur d’un procès inédit

Un trafic présumé d’espèces protégées d’oiseaux, impliquant une douzaine de prévenus parmi lesquels des ornithologues, un parc animalier ou encore un revendeur en Belgique, sera jeudi dans le Lot au cœur d’un procès inédit en France, selon les parties civiles. Plusieurs milliers d’oiseaux, comme des rossignols du Japon, des linottes mélodieuses, des chardonnerets élégants ou des bruants zizi, recherchés pour leur plumage, leur beauté ou leur chant, ont fait ainsi pendant plusieurs années l’objet de captures, de détention et de vente illégales, des faits commis en bande organisée, selon les éléments d’accusation dont l’AFP a pu prendre connaissance.Selon la Ligue de protection des Oiseaux (LPO) et l’association France Nature Environnement (FNE), parties civiles, les protagonistes du dossier étaient mus par différentes motivations: l’appât du gain – certains spécimens se négociant jusqu’à 600 euros pièce – mais aussi par la passion ou la simple quête de l’oiseau rare.A propos du procès devant le tribunal correctionnel de Cahors, FNE parle d’une “audience historique” portant sur “le plus gros démantèlement de trafic d’oiseaux en France” tandis que l’avocate de la LPO, Me Sandrine Gélis, évoque “le premier dossier de trafic d’oiseaux” faisant l’objet d’un procès en France.Sont notamment poursuivis le propriétaire d’une oisellerie en Belgique et celui qui était, selon l’accusation, son intermédiaire principal, un Français résidant dans le Lot, chez qui il se rendait très régulièrement pour récupérer des oiseaux, capturés ou détenus par certains des autres prévenus, et dans tous les cas “extraits illégalement de leur milieu naturel”, selon un communiqué de la procureure de la République de Cahors, Clara Ribeiro.Un parc zoologique, le parc animalier des Pyrénées et l’un de ses anciens directeurs sont également visés dans la procédure.- “Multitude de protagonistes” -“La période de prévention s’échelonne de septembre 2012 à mars 2018, dans les départements du Lot, des Hautes Pyrénées, des Pyrénées Atlantiques, de l’Ariège, du Tarn, du Gers, du Lot-et-Garonne et des Landes”, a expliqué la procureure de Cahors.Ce dossier qui a fait l’objet d’une information judiciaire ouverte le 23 septembre 2016 a été marqué par “la multitude de protagonistes, leur implication différente, une dimension européenne, le nombre et la complexité technique des incriminations”, a souligné Mme Ribeiro.Dix personnes impliquées dans cette affaire ont déjà été jugées dans le cadre d’une procédure de comparution sur reconnaissance préalable de culpabilité (CRPC), a-t-elle indiqué, sans préciser les condamnations prononcées.En février 2017, après environ deux ans d’une enquête débutée au printemps 2015, ce qui était à l’époque l’Office national de la chasse et de la faune sauvage (ONCFS, fusionné en 2020 avec l’Agence française pour la biodiversité pour devenir l’OFB, Office français de la biodiversité), avait procédé à une vague d’interpellations dans une trentaine de lieux, donnant lieu à la saisie d’environ 430 oiseaux détenus dans des volières, de plus de 140 pièges ainsi que de l’argent liquide.D’autres associations comme l’Association pour la protection des animaux sauvages ou l’Association française des parcs zoologiques, ou encore le Museum national d’histoire naturelle, se sont également portés parties civiles dans cette affaire. 

Un trafic d’espèces protégées d’oiseaux au cœur d’un procès inédit

Un trafic présumé d’espèces protégées d’oiseaux, impliquant une douzaine de prévenus parmi lesquels des ornithologues, un parc animalier ou encore un revendeur en Belgique, sera jeudi dans le Lot au cœur d’un procès inédit en France, selon les parties civiles. Plusieurs milliers d’oiseaux, comme des rossignols du Japon, des linottes mélodieuses, des chardonnerets élégants ou des bruants zizi, recherchés pour leur plumage, leur beauté ou leur chant, ont fait ainsi pendant plusieurs années l’objet de captures, de détention et de vente illégales, des faits commis en bande organisée, selon les éléments d’accusation dont l’AFP a pu prendre connaissance.Selon la Ligue de protection des Oiseaux (LPO) et l’association France Nature Environnement (FNE), parties civiles, les protagonistes du dossier étaient mus par différentes motivations: l’appât du gain – certains spécimens se négociant jusqu’à 600 euros pièce – mais aussi par la passion ou la simple quête de l’oiseau rare.A propos du procès devant le tribunal correctionnel de Cahors, FNE parle d’une “audience historique” portant sur “le plus gros démantèlement de trafic d’oiseaux en France” tandis que l’avocate de la LPO, Me Sandrine Gélis, évoque “le premier dossier de trafic d’oiseaux” faisant l’objet d’un procès en France.Sont notamment poursuivis le propriétaire d’une oisellerie en Belgique et celui qui était, selon l’accusation, son intermédiaire principal, un Français résidant dans le Lot, chez qui il se rendait très régulièrement pour récupérer des oiseaux, capturés ou détenus par certains des autres prévenus, et dans tous les cas “extraits illégalement de leur milieu naturel”, selon un communiqué de la procureure de la République de Cahors, Clara Ribeiro.Un parc zoologique, le parc animalier des Pyrénées et l’un de ses anciens directeurs sont également visés dans la procédure.- “Multitude de protagonistes” -“La période de prévention s’échelonne de septembre 2012 à mars 2018, dans les départements du Lot, des Hautes Pyrénées, des Pyrénées Atlantiques, de l’Ariège, du Tarn, du Gers, du Lot-et-Garonne et des Landes”, a expliqué la procureure de Cahors.Ce dossier qui a fait l’objet d’une information judiciaire ouverte le 23 septembre 2016 a été marqué par “la multitude de protagonistes, leur implication différente, une dimension européenne, le nombre et la complexité technique des incriminations”, a souligné Mme Ribeiro.Dix personnes impliquées dans cette affaire ont déjà été jugées dans le cadre d’une procédure de comparution sur reconnaissance préalable de culpabilité (CRPC), a-t-elle indiqué, sans préciser les condamnations prononcées.En février 2017, après environ deux ans d’une enquête débutée au printemps 2015, ce qui était à l’époque l’Office national de la chasse et de la faune sauvage (ONCFS, fusionné en 2020 avec l’Agence française pour la biodiversité pour devenir l’OFB, Office français de la biodiversité), avait procédé à une vague d’interpellations dans une trentaine de lieux, donnant lieu à la saisie d’environ 430 oiseaux détenus dans des volières, de plus de 140 pièges ainsi que de l’argent liquide.D’autres associations comme l’Association pour la protection des animaux sauvages ou l’Association française des parcs zoologiques, ou encore le Museum national d’histoire naturelle, se sont également portés parties civiles dans cette affaire. 

Vendanges en Champagne: un procès pour traite d’êtres humains s’ouvre à Châlons-en-Champagne

Trois personnes comparaissent jeudi devant le tribunal correctionnel de Châlons-en-Champagne pour traite d’êtres humains, soupçonnées d’avoir exploité et hébergé dans des conditions indignes 57 travailleurs, pour la plupart en situation irrégulière, lors des vendanges 2023 dans le prestigieux vignoble champenois.Le procès, prévu sur une journée, s’ouvrira à 9H00. Avant l’audience, un rassemblement est prévu devant le tribunal, à l’appel de la CGT Champagne.Parmi les prévenus figure la dirigeante d’Anavim, une société de prestations viticoles. Cette femme de 44 ans originaire du Kirghizistan est également poursuivie pour travail dissimulé, emploi d’étrangers sans autorisation de travail salarié, soumission de personnes vulnérables à des conditions d’hébergement indignes et avec une rétribution inexistante ou insuffisante.Deux hommes âgés de 33 ans, soupçonnés d’avoir participé au recrutement des vendangeurs en Ile-de-France, seront jugés à ses côtés. La société Anavim et une coopérative vinicole de la Marne sont également poursuivies comme personnes morales.En septembre 2023, à la suite d’un signalement de riverains, l’inspection du travail procède à un contrôle et constate des conditions de vie portant “gravement atteinte à la sécurité, à la santé et à la dignité des occupants”, selon la procureure Annick Browne.- “Indignes” -Dans la foulée, la préfecture ordonne la fermeture de cet hébergement collectif mis à disposition par Anavim à Nesle-le-Repons, au sud-ouest de Reims, en raison de conditions de vie jugées “insalubres” et “indignes”.S’appuyant sur le rapport de l’inspection du travail, la préfecture relevait des “literies de fortune”, “l’état de vétusté”, le “délabrement”, l'”absence de nettoyage”, “l’état répugnant des toilettes, sanitaires et lieux communs”, et notait l’existence “d’un risque électrique”.Les vendangeurs étaient logés dans une maison en travaux et un hangar, dormant sur des matelas gonflables à même le sol, avec des douches de fortune, des toilettes inutilisables et de nombreuses anomalies électriques, détaille aussi le parquet.Les travailleurs étaient transportés de leur hébergement à leur lieu de travail, “entassés à l’arrière de camionnettes” sans sièges ni ouvertures, et travaillaient “minimum dix heures par jour avec une unique pause déjeuner de 30 minutes”, sans équipement de protection individuel et souvent avec des salaires “sans rapport” avec le travail accompli, relève le parquet.Après plusieurs mois d’enquête, 57 victimes ont été identifiées et l’immeuble ayant hébergé les travailleurs a été saisi.Les prévenus “ont un mépris total pour le respect de la dignité humaine”, dénonce Me Maxime Cessieux, avocat des victimes, dont la majorité sont des étrangers en situation irrégulière originaires du Mali, de Mauritanie, de Côte d’Ivoire ou encore du Sénégal.- Image du Champagne en jeu -Il estime que “l’exploitant viticole ne peut pas faire semblant qu’il ne savait pas” et appelle les maisons de champagne à être “intransigeantes” sur les conditions dans lesquelles sont ramassés leurs raisins.Les donneurs d’ordre et les prestataires “doivent être condamnés conjointement”, réclame pour sa part José Blanco, de la CGT Champagne, partie civile.Le syndicaliste demande également que “les conditions d’hébergement et de rémunération des travailleurs saisonniers soient inscrites dans le cahier des charges de l’AOC Champagne”. “Si un vigneron emploie un prestataire impliqué dans un cas de traite d’êtres humains, alors sa récolte doit être déclassée”, estime M. Blanco.Le procès, initialement prévu en mars, avait été renvoyé à la demande de la défense.Pour la première fois dans un procès sur le sujet des vendangeurs, le Comité Champagne, qui représente 16.200 vignerons, 130 coopératives et 370 maisons de Champagne, est lui aussi partie civile.Le Comité Champagne souhaite ainsi “exprimer sa ferme opposition à ces pratiques inacceptables”, selon une déclaration de son directeur général, Charles Goemaere, transmise à l’AFP en mars.Les vendanges de 2023 dans la région avaient été émaillées d’incidents. Quatre personnes travaillant à la récolte du raisin sont notamment décédées lors d’un mois de septembre particulièrement chaud cette année-là.Dans un communiqué cosigné avec la Ligue des droits de l’Homme (LDH) et le Comité contre l’esclavage moderne (CCEM), également parties civiles, la CGT a dénoncé “les pratiques inacceptables” d'”un patronat agricole “qui n’hésite pas à surexploiter les travailleurs pour accroître ses profits”.