A French police officer to stand trial over teen's killing that sparked nationwide riots
PARIS: A French police officer will face trial next year on charges of voluntary homicide over the killing of a 17-year-old of North African descent, a death that triggered nationwide riots.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
The prosecutor's office in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, where victim Nahel Merzouk grew up and was killed in 2023, announced in a statement that magistrates decided on Tuesday to send the police officer to trial after a two-year investigation.
The officer, identified in legal documents only as Florian M, was initially detained but released a few months later pending further investigation. He is expected to face trial in the third quarter of 2026, the prosecutor's office said.
Merzouk's family and lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the announcement.
The teenager was shot during a traffic stop in Nanterre. Video showed two officers at the window of the Mercedes the youth was driving, one with his gun pointed at Merzouk. As the car pulled forward, the officer fired once.
After the killing, Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache said his initial investigation led him to conclude that the officer's use of his weapon wasn't legally justified.
Protests over his killing spread around France and some turned violent, with stores looted and public buildings torched. Thousands of people were arrested as the government ratcheted up its law enforcement response to quell the unrest, and hundreds of people were injured. In related protests in the overseas territory of French Guiana in South America, a 54-year-old died after being hit by a stray bullet.
The reaction to the killing was a potent reminder of the persistent poverty, discrimination, unemployment and other lack of opportunity in neighborhoods around France where many residents trace their roots to former French colonies.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
Trump issues two-week ultimatum to Iran as Mideast conflict escalates
US President Donald Trump has given Iran a 'maximum' of two weeks to defuse mounting tensions or face potential American air strikes — a warning that comes as Israel escalates its military campaign against Tehran. The president's remarks, made on June 13, reflect a hardening US posture in the face of growing conflict in the Middle East, according to a report by AFP. Israel has claimed its ongoing offensive has already delayed Iran's nuclear ambitions by up to three years. Explosions rang out across Tehran again with Israeli strikes targeting what it calls nuclear and military facilities, though Iranian authorities say residential areas have also been hit. Tehran remains under continued attack The usually crowded markets of Tehran were silent, many shuttered, as fear spread alongside falling debris. Since launching its offensive on June 13, Israel has fired hundreds of missiles and drones into Iran, saying the attacks are necessary to prevent Tehran's nuclear programme. Iranian officials report at least 224 deaths, including military commanders, scientists and civilians. Israel, in turn, says Iran has launched over 450 missiles and 400 drones, with the most recent barrage injuring 19 people in Haifa. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told Bild newspaper that 'we already delayed for at least two or three years the possibility for them to have a nuclear bomb,' adding that the week-long assault would continue: 'We will do everything that we can to remove this threat.' Talks stall, threats grow Trump showed little patience for European diplomacy, dismissing recent mediation efforts led by Britain, France, and Germany in Geneva. The European trio had urged Iran's top negotiator Abbas Araghchi to resume talks with the US despite the ongoing strikes. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated, 'We invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for.' Trump, too, was unapologetic. 'Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us,' he said, adding he's unlikely to ask Israel to pause its assault to get Iran back to the table. "If somebody's winning, it's a little bit harder to do," he said. Any potential US military involvement would likely rely on specialised bunker-busting bombs to strike Iran's underground uranium enrichment plant in Fordo- a capability no other military currently matches.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
French President Macron throws 'Starlink challenge' at Europe; comes after Donald Trump said US no longer willing to be main guarantor of Europe's security
(Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP) French President Emmanuel Macron endorsed plans for a European satellite manufacturing powerhouse and urged faster deployment of Starlink-like satellites, declaring space he new theatre for world power and key arena for global power competition. According to a report by Reuters, speaking at the Paris Airshow, after France moved to take control of Eutelsat , a Starlink rival, Macron outlined a strategy to challenge U.S. billionaire Elon Musk's expansive rocket-to-telecoms empire, emphasizing a robust push across launchers, manufacturing, and services. "At the intersection of all these public and private questions, as well as civil, military, scientific and industrial ones, space has in some way become a gauge of international power," Macron told delegates, according to Reuters. The Airshow, set against the backdrop of Israel-Iran tensions, focused on geopolitical and trade issues rather than typical jetliner orders, with space taking center stage on Friday, Reuters noted. Europe, a leader in Earth observation, has lagged behind the U.S. and China in the strategic space domain, losing independent orbital access for over a year in 2023 due to technical issues, delays, and severed Russian ties over Ukraine, which ended Soyuz rocket use. Europe lags way behind US and China in Space Tech by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Despite being the world's top satellite exporter, Europe's key manufacturers—Airbus and a Thales-Leonardo partnership—face profitability challenges and aim to consolidate, Reuters said. Macron voiced strong support: "They have our full support and confidence. I want us to build this new champion as soon as possible." He added, "This is what will allow us, as Europeans, to have the scale to improve competitiveness and volume. It's a sector consolidation." Driven by competition from Musk's cost-effective Starlink satellites and a shift from high-orbit bespoke satellites, Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo are exploring a joint venture, codenamed Project Bromo, though past consolidation attempts were blocked by competition concerns, Reuters reported. Russia-Ukraine conflict showed importance of Space tech The strategic importance of satellite services, underscored by Ukraine's conflict, prompted France to invest $1.55 billion in Eutelsat, boosting its shares, Reuters noted. However, European space budgets pale compared to U.S. and Chinese spending, with the U.S. holding nearly two-thirds of the global space budget in 2023, while Europe accounted for just 11%, per the European Space Agency. Macron's space ambitions face fiscal constraints as France grapples with public finance control after last year's spending surge, Reuters said. Jean-Pierre Darnis, an associate fellow at the Foundation for Strategic Research, told Reuters, "Partnership between public and private capital will be needed and this requires a considerable effort." The Airshow also reflected Europe's push for sovereignty amid doubts about U.S. security commitments, with Vago Muradian, founder of the Defense & Aerospace Report, quoted by Reuters saying, "The big story of this show is sovereignty in the wake of some of the statements by (Trump) questioning U.S. commitment to Europe and to NATO." Europe's defense spending is rising, and some suppliers are offering "ITAR-free" products to bypass U.S. export controls, a senior European industry official told Reuters. Meanwhile, the commercial side of the show was subdued after an Air India Boeing 787 crash, with Boeing avoiding announcements while Airbus and Embraer secured deals earlier, Reuters reported.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Israel says delayed Iran's presumed nuclear programme by two years
Israel claimed on Saturday it has already set back Iran 's presumed nuclear programme by at least two years, a day after US President Donald Trump warned that Tehran has a "maximum" of two weeks to avoid possible American air strikes. Trump has been mulling whether to involve the United States in Israel's bombing campaign, indicating in his latest comments that he could take a decision before the two week deadline he set this week. Israel said Saturday its air force had launched fresh air strikes against missile storage and launch sites in central Iran, as it kept up a wave of attacks it says are aimed at preventing its rival from developing nuclear weapons -- an ambition Tehran has denied. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 'Swing is King': Mr. Hemant's Strategy Finally Explained in Free Session TradeWise Learn More "According to the assessment we hear, we already delayed for at least two or three years the possibility for them to have a nuclear bomb," Israel's foreign minister Gideon Saar said in an interview published Saturday. Saar said Israel's week-long onslaught would continue. "We will do everything that we can do there in order to remove this threat," he told German newspaper Bild. Live Events You Might Also Like: Inside Israel's midnight blitz which took aim at Iran's nuclear arsenal: 60 jets, 100 bombs, and a nuclear target in flames Top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany met their Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Geneva on Friday and urged him to resume talks with the United States that had been derailed by Israel's attacks. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said "we invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for." But Araghchi told NBC News after the meeting that "we're not prepared to negotiate with them (the United States) anymore, as long as the aggression continues." Trump was dismissive of European diplomacy efforts, telling reporters, "Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this." You Might Also Like: Trick or TACO? Why has Trump set a 2-week deadline for Iran? Trump also said he's unlikely to ask Israel to stop its attacks to get Iran back to the table. "If somebody's winning, it's a little bit harder to do," he said. Any US involvement would likely feature powerful bunker-busting bombs that no other country possesses to destroy an underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordo. On the streets of Tehran, many shops were closed and normally busting markets largely abandoned on Friday. You Might Also Like: Pakistan fears militants will thrive on restive border if Iran destabilised A US-based NGO, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, said on Friday based on its sources and media reports that at least 657 people have been killed in Iran, including 263 civilians. Iran has not updated its tolls since Sunday, when it said that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. Since Israel launched its offensive on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites but also hitting residential areas, Iran has responded with barrages which Israeli authorities say have killed at least 25 people. A hospital in the Israeli port of Haifa reported 19 wounded, including one person in a serious condition, after the latest Iranian salvo. Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate said more than 450 missiles have been fired at the country so far, along with about 400 drones. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted military sites and air force bases. Western powers have repeatedly expressed concerns about the rapid expansion of Iran's nuclear programme, questioning in particular the country's accelerated uranium enrichment. The International Atomic Energy Agency said that Iran is the only country without nuclear weapons to enrich uranium to 60 percent. However, it added that there was no evidence it had all the components to make a functioning nuclear warhead. The agency's chief Rafael Grossi told CNN it was "pure speculation" to say how long it would take Iran to develop weapons. Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the conflict was at a "perilous moment" and it was "hugely important that we don't see regional escalation". Araghchi arrived in Istanbul on Saturday according to the Tasnim news agency, for a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the Iran-Israel conflict. Switzerland announced it was temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran, adding that it would continue to fulfil its role representing US interests in Iran.
