This Tuesday, on the second day of the trial of the attack of July 14, 2016 in Nice which opened on Monday, the president of the special assize court of Paris, Laurent Raviot, announced that the former head of the State at the material time, François Hollande, and his Minister of the Interior, Bernard Cazeneuve will testify on Monday, October 10. Quoted by a civil party lawyer, they should testify in the afternoon. In the morning, the court will hear François Molins, attorney general at the court of cassation, one of the highest magistrates in France, also called to the bar by a civil party lawyer.
François Hollande, Bernard Cazeneuve and François Molins had already testified at the bar of the special assize court during the trial of the November 13 attacks. The former president had notably defended the “commitment of France in the fight against Islamist terrorism, in Mali, Iraq and Syria”, in particular against the Islamic State (IS) organization. “Even if we feared them, we were not prepared for attacks of such magnitude”testified François Molins, Paris prosecutor at the time of the attack.
If the Islamic State organization claimed responsibility for the attack, the investigation could not establish any direct link between Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, the driver of the truck which mowed down the crowd gathered on the Promenade des Anglais on the evening of July 14, 2016 , causing the death of 86 people, and the jihadist group. Investigators speak of an “opportunistic” claim by the Islamic State.
Christian Estrosi and Philippe Pradal also heard
The president of the special assize court of Paris also indicated on Tuesday that the current mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, and Philippe Pradal, who was the first magistrate of the city during the facts, in 2016, will be heard. Thursday, October 20.
These two auditions were not planned so far. The two politicians will be heard under the discretionary power of the president of the special assize court, and will therefore not have to take an oath.