PRESS RELEASE – Paris, July 6, 2025 Netanyahu's aircraft overflew French airspace: JURDI takes legal action administrative and warning of an imminent risk of recidivism
The association JURDI – Lawyers for the respect of international law – announces that it has filed a claim with the Administrative Court of Paris in order to obtain the annulment of the implicit refusals to disclose documents relating to overflight authorizations granted to the aircraft transporting Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister who has been the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court since November 2024.
Despite formal requests addressed to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEAE), and the intervention of the CADA (Commission for Access to Administrative Documents), no response has been received. JURDI considers that this silence seriously disregards the right of access to administrative documents and undermines transparency regarding France's fulfillment of its international obligations, particularly with regard to the Rome Statute and the Chicago Convention.
This is all the more worrying as a new overflight of French airspace by the aircraft carrying Mr. Netanyahu could take place in the very next few hours, without any guarantee of transparency.
The existence of overflight authorizations was, however, expressly acknowledged by the Government in an official response published in the Official Journal of the National Assembly in May 2025. This public confirmation attests to the reality of administrative documents which the authorities nevertheless refuse to communicate, in manifest contradiction with the principle of administrative transparency and the right of access guaranteed by law.
Consistent administrative case law confirms that these overflight authorizations, as administrative documents, must be disclosed except in duly justified cases, which was not the case here. These documents are essential to allow citizens and civil society organizations to monitor the State's compliance with its international commitments, particularly with regard to the Rome Statute and air transport conventions.
Through this legal action, JURDI intends to remind everyone that the State owes the trust of its citizens and must be held accountable for administrative decisions that affect air sovereignty and compliance with warrants issued by the International Criminal Court.
The association has asked the administrative judge to annul the implicit refusals, to order the communication of the documents under penalty, and reserves the right to undertake other legal actions, including urgent ones, in the event of continued opacity or a new overflight incident.
JURDI will continue its efforts until full transparency is obtained regarding these overflight authorizations and France respects its international obligations.
View the full document