Twenty-year-old French feminist activist Yona Faedda of the feminist group Collectif Némésis, was arrested and detained on 19 January after claiming in an interview that the rise of radical Islam poses a serious threat to women’s rights and safety.</p

Faedda, who has been active in feminist circles since her teenage years, is known for criticising what she refers to as a “culture of silence” around immigration, Islam and violence against women.

Not a topic for left-wing feminists

In the interview conducted on the street, she talked about official French statistics on assaults committed by foreigners. She linked this to issues such as Hamas’s 7 October attack and the lack of support from left-wing feminists.

Faedda has previously participated in actions with posters showing official statistics on rape, which has led to accusations of racism.

ISLAMIFICATION: Yona Faedda, a member of a French feminist group, was arrested for conducting man on the street interviews asking for comments on the threat of radical Islam to women’s rights. Free speech is dead in the EU when it comes to discussions of Islam. pic.twitter.com/oLBs60LN32

— @amuse (@amuse) January 20, 2026

The arrest has provoked strong reactions on social media. In conservative circles, it is described as an attack on freedom of expression.

Collectif Némésis, which focuses on fighting “patriarchal violence” regardless of where it comes from, supports Faedda and calls the arrest “politically motivated”.

Faedda remains in custody while the investigation is ongoing. The case is being followed by both national and international media.