Marseille triple murder: life sentences sought for four defendants
The trial for the triple murder carried out in late December 2020 near Marseille concluded with prosecution seeking life sentences for four of five defendants, including two alleged leaders of DZ Mafia.
Trial of Marseille triple murder: maximum sentences sought
According to Le Figaro, prosecutors at the special assize court of Bouches-du-Rhône sought life sentences with a period of security of 22 years — the maximum penalty — for four of the five defendants tried for the triple murder of December 2020. The three victims, Reda Khaldi, Nassim Loubani and Brahim Chabane (elder brother of Amine Kessaci, an activist against drug trafficking and deputy mayor), were killed in conditions described as "particularly bloody".
Karim Harrat, accused of having ordered the triple murder from Dubai, is among the four defendants against whom life sentences were sought. Amine Oualane, presented as an alleged leader of DZ Mafia, also received the same prosecution requests. The prosecution designates him as the "central nucleus" of the operation and as the sole shooter, describing him as central to the "execution" tinged with "savagery".
The prosecution arguments, which lasted nearly five hours, emphasised the need for "exemplary sentences" in the face of the brutality of the crime. The magistrates characterised this murder as a precursor to the "Mexicanisation" of Marseille organised drug crime, marking a turning point in the evolution of regional organised crime.
Source: Le Figaro