Frédéric Michel, edited by Romain Rouillard
The trial of the Nice attack which had 86 dead and 450 wounded on July 14, 2016 ended on Monday. At the microphone of Europe 1, Maître Catherine Szwarc, lawyer for several civil parties, notably regretted the silence of one of the accused at the end of the hearing. A silence that does not favor “the manifestation of the truth” according to her.
“First of all, I would like to say that my last thought, I address it to the civil parties, to whom I address all my courage and my wishes of happiness”. It is with these very awkward words that Ramzi Arefa, one of the accused in the trial of the Nice attack, began his last speech at the hearing before the end of this trial on Monday. Nevertheless, like six other defendants, the 28-year-old man still expressed regrets, unlike Chokri Chafroud, a 43-year-old Tunisian, who did not wish to speak.
This silence leaves a bitter taste to Maître Catherine Szwark, lawyer for several civil parties: “Sometimes, at the end of the hearing, we would like something more. And there, it was quite smooth. Chafroud said nothing. He added nothing to his defence. It is his right, but indeed, for the civil parties, for the manifestation of the truth, well, we leave it there. We remain a little frustrated despite everything.
Sentences of two to fifteen years in prison required
According to her, as a general rule, civil parties do not come to trials animated by a spirit of “revenge”. “They come with an idea of justice, they want the truth. That’s what counts and what must be heard,” she insisted. The lawyer then mentioned the verdict to follow, predicting a certain disappointment for the civil parties. “I think the civil parties will certainly come with a heavy heart with an expectation that will not be fulfilled.”
Of the eight people tried, none is accused of complicity with the terrorist who launched his truck on the Promenade des Anglais on July 14, 2016. Sentences of two to fifteen years in prison were required.