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3mo ago

French Officer to Face Murder Trial in 2023 Nanterre Shooting of Teen

Proceedings are set for mid-2026 following a two-year probe charging the officer with voluntary homicide.

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Tributes have poured in for the Tunisian murdered in southeastern France
TOPSHOT - An attendee holds a banner reading "Justice for Nahel" as cars burn in the street at the end of a commemoration march for a teenage driver shot dead by a policeman, in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre, on June 29, 2023. Violent protests broke out in France in the early hours of June 29, 2023, as anger grows over the police killing of a teenager, with security forces arresting 150 people in the chaos that saw balaclava-clad protesters burning cars and setting off fireworks. Nahel M., 17, was shot in the chest at point-blank range in Nanterre in the morning of June 27, 2023, in an incident that has reignited debate in France about police tactics long criticised by rights groups over the treatment of people in low-income suburbs, particularly ethnic minorities. (Photo by Bertrand GUAY / AFP) (Photo by BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • After a two-year investigation, the Assize Court of Hauts-de-Seine has scheduled officer Florian M.’s murder trial for the second or third quarter of 2026.
  • Video footage shows the officer firing at point-blank range as 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk attempted to drive away, contradicting initial police claims.
  • The shooting sparked days of riots across France in 2023, underscoring persistent challenges of police violence, discrimination and social inequality.
  • Officer’s lawyer Laurent-Franck Liénard plans to appeal and insists the shooting was lawful, while Nahel’s family has hailed the decision as upholding legal accountability.
  • Recent racist attacks—including the killing of a Tunisian neighbour and a deadly mosque stabbing—have intensified scrutiny of racism and security measures in France.