The previous cases have been tried in recent years by the criminal court: this is therefore a first in an ultra-right case.
This project was baptized Waffenkraft: “power of weapons”, in German. Four men belonging to the neo-Nazi movement will be tried in June by the special assize court for minors, suspected of having prepared between 2017 and 2018 criminal terrorist projects, franceinfo learned this Wednesday from the national anti-terrorist prosecution (Pnat), confirming information from Politis.
>> Ultra-right: Jean-Luc Mélenchon asks to file a civil action to obtain information on terrorist projects aimed in particular at his meetings
This is a first in an ultra-right case, while the precedents have been tried in recent years by the criminal court. The leader, 22 years old at the time, was a volunteer policeman in Isère. He was the holder of Kalashnikovs, ammunition, homemade explosives with which he and his associates trained in the forest, even filming their exploits.
“Eliminate Jean-Luc Mélenchon during a meeting”
Investigators found these videos on his computer, along with an acting-out manifesto detailing how to carry out a shooting or ramming attack. Among the targets cited: mosques and Jewish communities, in particular. Questioned, one of the defendants indicated about the most radical defendant that he “wanted to do worse than the Bataclan“, or “He mentioned the idea of eliminating Jean-Luc Mélenchon during a meeting“. The politician, cited as a potential target, as well as the Licra request to be cited as a civil party to the trial, their respective lawyers told franceinfo Thursday, May 11.
“Obviously, we are surprised, details his lawyer Jade Dousselin. We do not understand why, in these procedures, the people targeted are not informed on the one hand for their own safety and then, on the other hand, because they are entitled to know who fomented the attacks, of what manner, where the level of preparation was and have the right to be able, before the courts, to hear those who have attempted their lives. We are going to do all the steps so that they can actually bring a civil action.“, specified the advice of the founder of France Insoumise.
A fifth protagonist already tried by the juvenile court
As one of the defendants was 17 at the time of the events, these four men will therefore be tried as a group by the special assize court for minors in Paris from June 19 to 30. A fifth protagonist, aged 14 at the time of the events and now 19, has already been tried by the Paris Children’s Court, ruling in criminal matters.
Nine attacks attributed to the ultra-right have been foiled since 2017, according to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin in early April. A dozen procedures in connection with the ultra-right have been opened in recent years at the anti-terrorist center in Paris. Several other major cases, such as that of a small group called OAS or that of the Barjols, have been tried in recent years, but by the Paris Criminal Court.