UK police under fire for arresting French publisher

The London Metropolitan Police have been condemned by writers, journalist unions and activists for questioning and detaining a French publisher under the United Kingdom's Terrorism Act. Ernest Moret, foreign rights manager for popular science fiction author Alain Damasio as well as Editions La Fabrique, was on his way to the London Book Fair when he was stopped by police officers on Monday evening. Editions La Fabrique, in a joint statement with the British publishing house Verso Books, said police officers pulled Moret aside for questioning under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act after he arrived at London's St Pancreas railway station. The legislation gives police officers the power of stopping, questioning and detaining people to determine if they were involved in the "preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism", read a Metropolitan police's definition. The officers said Moret took part in demonstrations in France against a controversial pension reform, the publishers said in their statement.