Paris (AFP)

An association of Covid-19 victims decided to file a complaint against Jean Castex before the Court of Justice of the Republic (CJR), believing that the government continued to "navigate on sight" in the face of the epidemic, we have learned Thursday from his lawyer.

This complaint against the Prime Minister must be filed during the day by the Victims Coronavirus France collective, which brings together 200 people, to the CJR, the only body empowered in France to judge acts committed by members of the government in the exercise of their functions, said Me Fabrice Di Vizio, confirming information from the Parisian.

Since the start of the coronavirus epidemic which has claimed more than 31,000 lives in France, the CJR has already received at least 90 complaints against ministers.

Nine of them, targeting the former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran and his predecessor Agnès Buzyn, were deemed admissible and led on July 7 to the opening of a judicial investigation for " abstention from fighting a claim ".

The investigations are carried out by the investigating committee of the CJR, which acts as an investigating judge.

"The investigation launched by the CJR must not stop at July 3," the date of the appointment of Mr. Castex as head of government, explained Mr. Di Vizio.

"What is striking since it happened is that we have no strategy to fight against the epidemic", he said, considering that the government "made the French feel guilty" and "navigated on sight ".

The lawyer notably cited the absence of screening tests at airports in July, the slowness in setting up saliva tests or the decision to delegate to the prefects the prerogative of strengthening measures against the epidemic.

“We have a country that is administered, but not governed,” he said.

For its part, the Paris prosecutor's office, which has received several dozen complaints sometimes targeting administration officials, on June 9 opened a vast preliminary investigation, in particular for "involuntary homicides" or "endangering the life of 'others'.

As of August 31, it had received 170 complaints, four of which gave rise to separate investigations targeting nursing homes in the capital.

Contacted by AFP, Matignon did not react immediately.

© 2020 AFP