A year after Nahel’s death, his loved ones march and fight for a trial

A year after the death of Nahel, which caused an outbreak of urban violence throughout France, a white march was organized on Saturday in Nanterre. Several hundred people demanded “Justice for Nahel”.

At first there were silences. Many silences, until the arrival of the procession of the white march on Saturday, June 29, at the place where Nahel was killed by a police shot, a little over a year ago in Nanterre. After a time of prayer, his family spoke. “I miss him very much, my grandson. I can’t speak,” said Nahel’s grandmother, who only lasted a few seconds at the microphone in front of the audience.

Mounia Merzouk, Nahel’s mother, then spoke for many minutes, describing her pain for a year and the injustice she feels about the police officer who killed Nahel. “The pain I have inside me, I can’t even describe it to you. It’s very hard, I’m suffering. You see me like this, dressed, blow-dried. It’s just external. I can’t show you how I live at home. When I come home, I have no one left, I don’t have my baby anymore,” describes Nahel’s mother.

“When he [le policier] wakes up in the morning, he has his son who will say hello to him, he will kiss him. Who am I kissing? I look at my son’s room, it’s empty, right in front of me. It’s too hard for me.”

Mounia Merzouk, Nahel’s mother

at the march in tribute to his son

Anger is still present in this family, in this neighborhood, where the participants in this white march asked “Justice for Nahel”One of the young man’s cousins ​​agreed to speak to franceinfo. “We will always remain united in relation to Nahel. We will always carry the fight until the end. Personally, I will carry the fight until my death. From the moment my blood was taken away, I I don’t accept it. I’m revolted and I will be revolted to the end.” she promises.

Two investigating judges are trying to establish the circumstances of the death of this teenager who had just turned 17. Now this family awaits trial “to be able to move on to something else in our lives”, Nahel’s cousin says.

“We will never forget Nahel. He will always be there. But once there is a conviction, it’s not the same, you move on. You don’t tell yourself that the police officer is at home sleeping with his wife, with his children Because Mounia, she is alone at home. There are no children, there are no parents. What he did, he had to. let him pay for it”, she concludes.

The police officer indicted for murder found freedom in November. He was placed under judicial supervision after four months of pre-trial detention.