Four neo-Nazis accused of “terrorist” projects sentenced to sentences ranging from one to 18 years in prison in Paris

Four men belonging to the neo-Nazi movement were sentenced on Friday June 30 to terms ranging from one year in prison to 18 years in prison by a special assize court for minors in Paris. The heaviest sentence, 18 years’ imprisonment with a two-thirds security sentence, was pronounced against Alexandre Gilet, a 27-year-old volunteer ex-policeman who “had weapons, explosives” And “had taken an undeniable ascendancy over the group”according to the president of the court, Christophe Petiteau.

The Grenoble resident is also subject to a five-year socio-judicial follow-up including a ban on possessing a weapon, a treatment order and a ban on exercising any public function for ten years. The other three defendants, who appeared free under judicial supervision, are sentenced to much lighter sentences, the firm part of which will be “convertible” by a sentence enforcement judge, said the president.

They targeted mosques in particular

Evandre Aubert, 28 years old from Ardèche, described as “the ideologue” of the group, and Julien (first name changed), a 22-year-old Tourangeau who was a minor at the time of the events, were both sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, two of which were closed. The court took into account the“minority excuse” of the latter, which halves the penalty that would have been imposed on him if he were of age. Gauthier Faucon, son of a 25-year-old soldier living in Tours, who had illegally bought a pump shotgun from Alexandre Gilet, was sentenced to three years in prison, one of which was closed.

The four men had been on trial since June 19 for “terrorist criminal association”. They risked thirty years of imprisonment (half for “Julien” taking into account the excuse of minority).

Since 2017, they had participated in a private forum, called “Waffenkraft” (“power of arms” in German). They are suspected of having wanted to attack mosques, organizations such as the Licra or the Crif, or politicians like the former LFI candidate in the presidential election Jean-Luc Mélenchon.