Marseille Narcotrafic Trial Enters Final Phase
The lawyers for the victims of the triple narchomicide near Marseille pleaded for justice to end the “endless grief” for their families.
The plea came during the fourth week of the trial for the five men accused of the triple homicide. The prosecution’s closing arguments are scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Prosecution’s Case: “Unprecedented Violence”
The prosecution alleges the three victims—Réda, Nassim, and Brahim, the older brother of anti-drug activist Amine Kessaci—were targeted by the “unheard-of violence” of Marseille’s drug trade.
The victims were shot in the head and their bodies were burned inside incinerated vehicles, according to the court. The prosecution claims Amine Oualane, considered a leader of the DZ Mafia, was the shooter and field relay. Karim Harrat, at the time a figure in Marseille’s drug trade, is accused of having ordered and financed the murder from the United Arab Emirates. Both men deny the charges.
Defendants Deny Killings While Trading Accusations
The defense strategy has been marked by mutual accusations among the accused. While some defendants admitted to lesser crimes like car theft or body dismemberment, all have denied killing the three young men.
“A cynical pantomime to present a supposed truth, when it was actually nonsense, a smokescreen,” is how one lawyer described the defendants’ denials, which sometimes pointed fingers at each other.
Families’ Anguish: “He Was Only Guilty of Being My Brother”
The families of the victims have been present throughout the proceedings. In statements in the courtroom, lawyer Sofia Bougrine described Brahim’s death.
“Brahim was assassinated in his passenger seat,” she said, by “shots inside the vehicle, friendly fire, fire of betrayal.” Bougrine stressed that Brahim did not defend himself and showed no signs of a fight, indicating the assassination took place while he was in a state of trust.
Lawyer Bernard Aubrespy denounced the drug world of “unheard-of violence,” in which “there are no friendships, only alliances, betrayals, in which everyone is armed, in which people kill without a second thought for the conquest of a territory.”
Judge’s Task: Separating Facts from Context
The families’ lawyers urged the court to distinguish the legal responsibility of each accused, asking for “neither a collective condemnation nor a response dictated by emotion.”
“You are not judging a context, you are not judging the narcotrafic,” lawyer Pierre-Olivier Sur told the court. However, he noted that there is “of course a social scope to the verdict that you will render.” The families are awaiting “what the law owes to the victims: the truth told, culpabilities established, and justice rendered,” as lawyer Soraya Slimani put it.
Outstanding Questions Remain
Despite the proceedings, gray areas remain regarding the circumstances that led to the criminal operation in the night of December 28 to 29, 2020.
The court is entering the end of the trial, with the prosecution’s requisitions expected Wednesday morning.
Who Were the Victims and Perpetrators?
- Who were the victims?
- The victims were Réda, Nassim, and Brahim, the brother of anti-drug activist and Marseille municipal councillor Amine Kessaci.
- When did the murders occur?
- The men were targeted in the night of December 28 to 29, 2020.
- Who is considered the main perpetrator?
- Amine Oualane is considered by the prosecution to be the shooter and primary field relay, as a leader of the DZ Mafia. Karim Harrat, a former Marseille drug baron, is accused of financing the murder from the UAE.