• On Wednesday, at the trial of the Nice attack, the lawyers for the civil parties tried to convince of the involvement of the main defendants in the attack of July 14, 2016, which was "not the result of chance" and "still less the work of a madman”.

  • "I don't think it's a coincidence, I don't believe in conspiracy theory", notably asserted Me Yves Hartemann, before addressing the defendants: "You participated in these preparatory acts closely, very closely, to the terrorist offense committed by Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel.

    »

On the first day of their pleadings, the lawyers for the civil parties tried to convince of the involvement of the main defendants in the Nice attack of July 14, 2016, which was "not the result of chance" and "even less the 'work of a madman'.

“I thank you for not being fooled, not being misled by [their] siren song”, enjoined Me Cathy Guittard to the special assize court of Paris.

In the absence of the author, killed during the attack that left 86 dead on the Promenade des Anglais at the wheel of a ram truck, eight defendants have been on trial since September 5.

Like the trial of the attacks of November 13, 2015, which was held in the same room reserved for large hearings, at the Paris courthouse, around fifty lawyers have planned a "coordinated pleading", addressing first the criminal aspect of the file, before the evocation of the "injuries of the victims" from Thursday afternoon.

"I don't believe in conspiracy theories"

Even if none of the defendants is prosecuted for complicity with the killer, the first lawyers to plead insisted on justifying the qualification of terrorist criminal association (AMT) which weighs on three of them.

They face twenty years' imprisonment for two of them and life imprisonment for the third, a legal recidivism due to a conviction for theft in 2014. The "agreement" and the "preparatory acts" for the attack, elements necessary to characterize the AMT, existed between the defendants and Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, the author of the attack and between them, pleaded Me Yves Hartemann.

He notably mentioned the short, almost identical text messages, evoking the Ada rental agency, sent on July 5 at one minute intervals by the author of the attack on the three accused.

We also know that he was taking steps at this time which will lead to the rental of a 19-t in Saint-Laurent-du-Var on July 11.

Our file on the Nice attack

"I don't think it's a coincidence, I don't believe in conspiracy theory," said Yves Hartemann.

You participated by these preparatory acts closely, very closely, in the terrorist offense committed by Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel.

Me Benjamin Ollié underlined the contours of the case law concerning the AMT, recalling that it was not necessary for the defendants to have precise knowledge "of the terrorist intentions of the individual", but at most "of his possible dangerousness".

However, “without each small act which was a precious help in the commission of the attack, there might not have been” a passage to the act, estimated Me Catherine Szwarc.

“Neither sincere, nor authentic, nor frank, nor in good faith”

Me Tina Colombani said her "anger" at the "contradictions" of the accused.

According to her, “they were neither sincere, nor authentic, nor frank, nor in good faith”.

While the three main defendants sought to minimize their links with the author of the attack, “if Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel is this madman they describe, how can they justify this frenzy of contacts?

“asked Me Ariana Bobetic.

Me Cathy Guittard warned against "the tendency to seek biological explanations" to explain the driver's act.

"Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was calculating and manipulative, but he was not crazy," she said before emphasizing that maintaining that the author acted alone "clears the accused".

But, she said, this “crime is not the result of a mental illness of a single man”.

"The interest for the defense to try to show at all costs that Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel is crazy" is to present his act as "suicidal, without any connection with terrorism", added Me Catherine Szwarc.

It is, according to her, “a terrorist act that he committed, within the framework of radicalization and inspired jihadism”.

The investigation could not detect a link or trace of allegiance between the Islamic State (IS) organization and the 31-year-old Tunisian delivery driver.

The late claim of the attack, 36 hours after the fact, was deemed "pure opportunity" by DGSI investigators.

The pleadings of the lawyers of the 2,500 people who are civil parties to the trial must continue until December 1.

Justice

Nice attack trial: Absent from the hearing, the eighth accused is the subject of proceedings in Tunisia

Justice

Nice attack trial: The special assize court completes the interrogation of the accused

  • Justice

  • Nice

  • Paca

  • July 14 attack in Nice

  • Court case

  • Attack

  • Terrorism