Riots at the death of Adama Traoré in France: his brother Bagui acquitted at the assizes
Bagui Traoré's lawyer, Frank Berton, near Assa Traoré (l), Bagui Traoré's sister, addresses the press in front of the Assize Court of Val-d'Oise in Pontoise on July 9, 2021 after the acquittal of Bagui Traoré.
AFP - LUCAS BARIOULET
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Bagui Traoré was acquitted in the trial of the urban violence that had inflamed two towns in Val-d'Oise, in the Paris suburbs, following the death on July 19, 2016 of his brother Adama Traoré, shortly after his arrest by the gendarmes.
Bagui Traoré was on trial alongside four other people for shooting at police officers.
Prosecuted for attempted murder, he faced life imprisonment.
But in a resounding turnaround, the prosecution finally requested his acquittal on Tuesday.
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“
Justice cannot do without proof, and this is what happened in the case of Bagui Traoré.
On reading the verdict, Judge Trevidic's words are particularly harsh towards the investigators and the prosecution who maintained, after five years of investigation, that Bagui Traoré was one of the instigators of the violence.
“
No one, neither in the proceedings nor at the hearing, indicated having seen him shoot at the police or even have stood near a gunman.
Similarly, no one heard him give instructions or have provided a firearm
, "detailed the judge, who denounced an investigation"
remained at the stage of hypotheses
", before asserting:"
a debate on simple hypotheses certainly have their place in an investigating office, but not before an assize court
”.
Adama Traoré, the shadow that will have haunted the trial
Tuesday, the general counsel explained that the hearings had changed her vision of the case, pushing her to seek an acquittal, for lack of evidence.
"
A judicial shipwreck
" for the defense of Bagui Traoré, who insisted that the thirty-something had been targeted in this case to "
create a diversion
" at the death of
his brother Adama
in controversial circumstances.
A drama still under investigation, whose shadow will have haunted the trial.
In addition to Bagui Traoré, his ex-partner and another defendant were also acquitted, two men were on the other hand convicted of shooting at the police and sentenced to terms of 12 and 8 years in prison.
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