The court heard this Thursday, December 8, the lawyers of two defendants, Mohamed Ghraieb and Ramzi Arefa. Fifteen years in prison were required against them, but for different charges.
From our special correspondent at the Paris courthouse,
Against Mohamed Ghraieb, the prosecution requested the conviction for terrorist criminal association. But for his lawyer, Vincent Brengarth, ” there is really reason to acquit Mohamed Ghraieb, given the serious flaws in the prosecution » on the dependents and“ in his reasoning “.
We blame his client for having participated in the search for weapons? There is no evidence that Mohamed Ghraieb offered his weapon to the killer. And even so, we then speak an over-the-counter scare gun “, is offended the lawyer. He is also accused of having taken part in the rental of the truck? He ” did not take any steps “, but he is reproached” to have participated by receiving a message of three letters to which he does not answer. ” This is brand new reasoning! “, launches the council. As for the fact that Mohamed Ghraieb traveled with the future terrorist aboard the fatal truck, others did so who were not prosecuted, he points out.
” The doubt must benefit the accused »
To support the terrorist qualification in its indictment, the prosecution had assured that because of his proximity to Mohamed Laouhaiej-Bouhlel, Mohamed Ghraieb ” could not ignore his ability to take action in connection with his radical ideology “. However, the ” counter-terrorism investigators themselves » spoke about « weak signals of radicalization, readable only a posteriori “. ” How could Mohamed Ghraieb have perceived them? “, raises his counsel, who insists on the fact that his client had presented himself spontaneously to the police, and recalls ” the doubt must benefit the accused “.
On the side of the defense of Ramzi Arefa, for whom the prosecution has requested the abandonment of the terrorist qualification, the “weakness” of the file is just as much criticized. Ramzi Arefa” recognize » having bought a gun (the one who served during the attack) to one of his co-defendants, before selling him to Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel and, for this, admits his guilt for several violations of the legislation on weapons.
But this is about “ two separate transactions “, and at no time does he participate in a “ group “Which would validate the association of criminals, even less terrorist, protests Me Adélaïde Jacquin. The two lawyers come to the same conclusion: many questions will remain unanswered “, in particular because of the ” killer personality disorder “.
Some investigators have themselves speculated that the most incriminating elements for the three main defendants ” were deliberately left to implicate them “, they recall, before arriving at the same conclusion: their customers must not be ” heavily condemned to appease hearts, in defiance of the rules of law “, according to the formula of Me Jacquin.
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