Portrait of Me Juan Branco: A lawyer with radical positions who makes the news
Me Juan Branco, a 33-year-old French lawyer, has been talking a lot about him lately. Known for his radical and committed positions, he was recently at the center of the Ousmane Sonko affair in Senegal. However, his tumultuous journey has already caused a lot of ink to flow in France.
The Franco-Spanish lawyer became known in Senegal by participating in the defense of political opponent Ousmane Sonko. He even seized the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, following the political unrest that erupted after Sonko’s arrest. However, Mr. Juan Branco was arrested at the Mauritanian border and detained in Dakar, charged with attack, conspiracy and spreading false news.
His fame does not date from today. In March 2019, his essay entitled “Twilight” created the event by selling nearly 100,000 copies. First published in free access on the internet, it quickly aroused the interest of the public. This political essay, which denounces the links between economic, media and political leaders, was hailed by some as a hard-hitting analysis, while others called it caricatural and unfounded.
In “Twilight”, Me Juan Branco notably attacks Emmanuel Macron and the figures of macronie, whom he accuses of corruption. His revelations about the personal life of certain political figures caused a stir, as in the case of Benjamin Griveaux, forced to give up his candidacy for mayor of Paris following the disclosure of a sexual video. Me Branco was also close to the Russian artist Piotr Pavlenski, who posted this video on social networks.
A committed lawyer, Me Juan Branco has also worked for WikiLeaks and Julian Assange as legal counsel. He also stood in the legislative elections in 2017 for La France insoumise, before stepping away from it, convinced that the political system in place did not allow for real solutions.
This brilliant and attractive young lawyer, a graduate of Sciences Po Paris and holder of several master’s degrees, has aroused both admiration and mistrust. Some call him a megalomaniac, a mythomaniac and a manipulator, while others salute his commitment and his desire to defend just causes.
Me Juan Branco is now in the process of being expelled from Senegal to be sent back to France. His turbulent career and his radical positions make him a controversial personality, but also an essential figure in the news. His story continues to unfold in the spotlight, and there’s no doubt we haven’t finished hearing from him