The trial of three young men in France for the murder of an Algerian under torture
File photo of French police.
As of next Monday, three young men appear before the Palace Criminal Court in the French city of Lyon on charges of torturing and killing a 28-year-old Algerian in 2019, a scene that was filmed and broadcast on the Internet.
The body of an Algerian man from Mostaganem, handcuffed and mutilated with about sixty stab wounds, was found in early March 2019 in an apartment located in the Croix-Rousse district of Lyon.
This shocking discovery came after an acquaintance of the victim informed the police after watching a video clip on social media showing the man, with his face uncovered, being tortured by young men.
The video also showed a second victim, also a 28-year-old Algerian.
This man, who managed to escape from his tormentors, was found soon after the incident, with a broken hand and several cuts and bruises.
His lawyer, Laila Namir, told AFP that a report had been issued that he had been subjected to temporary total disability for 45 days.
The police appealed to internet users to stop sharing the video, which was reported by the Pharos platform, which is responsible for combating illegal content on the Internet.
The three defendants, one aged 17 and two 18 years old, were arrested, a few days later, in Spain, while trying to cross without a ticket on the Valencia metro.
A fourth person suspected of filming the video was handed over to the police in October 2019 by the same second victim, after he recognized his attacker by chance on a street in the 7th arrondissement of Lyon.
The latter will later be tried before the Juvenile Court, which decides on criminal cases.
Some defense lawyers did not want to make a statement before the trial, which was due to be closed, and others could not be reached immediately.
Lawyer Nameer indicated that her client "is afraid to see these boys again in the session," explaining that "everyone has known each other since childhood because they come from the same city in Algeria."
The reason for this extremely violent scene is due to a "very insignificant phone story," according to Nameer.
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