Aramburu Murder: Le Priol Sentenced to 26 Years, Bouvier to 19 Years in Prison
Paris Assize Court has delivered its verdict in the case of the murder of Argentine rugby player Federico Martin Aramburu, who was killed in March 2022.
Convictions Handed Down for the Murder of Rugby Player Federico Martin Aramburu
Paris Assize Court delivered its verdict on Friday in the case of the murder of Federico Martin Aramburu. According to rtl.fr, Loïk Le Priol, a 32-year-old former military officer dismissed from the armed forces, was sentenced to 26 years in prison for murder, with five years of judicial supervision attached. His accomplice Romain Bouvier, 35, received 19 years in prison for attempted murder and illegal possession of weapons. The court did not uphold a charge of premeditation. The two men have ten days to appeal, as does the public prosecutor.
The sentences imposed exceed the prosecutors' demands, which had asked on Wednesday for 27 years against Le Priol and 20 years against Bouvier respectively. The two defendants faced life imprisonment.
A Fatal Altercation on a Parisian Terrace
The events date back to 19 March 2022. An alcohol-fuelled row breaks out on the terrace of a Parisian brasserie between the two defendants and Federico Martin Aramburu, a former Argentine rugby international, twice French champion with Biarritz and a well-known figure in the Basque Country. Romain Bouvier fired first at the unarmed victim, hitting him twice. Loïk Le Priol then fired two bullets into his back.
The forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy confirmed during the trial that four projectiles struck Aramburu. The two bullets that entered the middle of his back caused fatal injuries. According to her statements, the victim said he felt he "was leaving." The two defendants denied all premeditation and any intention to kill.
Far-Right Past at the Heart of Debates
The trial, which took place four and a half years after the events, shed light on the ideological profile of the two convicted men. Former activists of Groupe Union Défense (GUD), a dissolved far-right student group, Le Priol and Bouvier were described by the prosecutor general as individuals driven by a "fascination with force" and "weapons", as well as an attraction to Nazi symbols, including a German edition of Mein Kampf in Gothic letters. Coming from wealthy backgrounds, their links to fascism were discussed throughout the hearings, but were not retained as aggravating circumstances.
The murder had deeply moved the rugby world, in Argentina as well as in the Basque Country, and had relaunched the debate on the violence of far-right movements in France.
Two Other Convictions
Two other defendants were also tried on Friday. Antony Sorrentino was sentenced to three years in prison with a suspended sentence. Lyson Rochemir, Loïk Le Priol's partner at the time of the events, received three years in prison, of which 30 months are suspended.
Source: Le Monde - Justice