Jean-Michel Aulas Loses Defamation Lawsuit Against Rue89Lyon Amid Lyon's Politicized Election Climate

Jean-Michel Aulas, mayoral candidate in Lyon’s 2026 municipal election, suffered a judicial setback on January 20, 2026, when he lost his defamation case against the independent media outlet Rue89Lyon. The Lyon criminal court ruled in favor of Rue89Lyon journalists, concluding that their October 2023 article did not contain defamatory statements regarding Aulas’s financial dealings.

The case centered on an investigative piece titled "La famille Aulas s’envole en jet privé vers des paradis fiscaux," which detailed Aulas's holding company Holnest’s one million euro investment in a luxury private jet airport in Florida. The article alleged this investment involved a complex offshore structure using a Delaware-based company known for its favorable tax regime. These findings were supported by documents from OpenLux, a Luxembourg tax haven database revealed by Le Monde in 2021.

The courtroom decision acquitted the journalists and ordered Aulas to pay €3,369 in legal fees to Rue89Lyon. However, Aulas’s request to label the lawsuit as abusive was denied. The ruling was hailed by Rue89Lyon’s director Pierre Lemerle as a victory for press freedom, emphasizing the court’s strong message encouraging investigative journalism and warning public figures against legal attempts to silence the press.

During the trial, Aulas’s legal team criticized the article’s terminology, claiming it implied tax evasion, whereas Rue89Lyon’s lawyers argued the lawsuit was a "gagging" attempt to disrupt journalistic scrutiny. The National Journalists' Union (SNJ) supported Rue89Lyon, condemning the legal action as an abusive one.

The ruling also drew political attention amid Lyon’s municipal campaign, with incumbent ecologist mayor Gregory Doucet’s team expressing solidarity with the media outlet. This case highlights growing concerns over the judicialization of political debates in Lyon ahead of the elections.

Currently, the Aulas campaign is considering an appeal against the judgment, signaling potential ongoing legal battles during the politically charged municipal races. This court decision stands as a significant precedent for media freedom and transparency in Lyon’s local politics.