Overview
- A specially composed cour d’assises in Aix‑en‑Provence opened the trial for five accused on Monday, October 19, 2026, with proceedings scheduled to run until November 6.
- The case centres on a December 2020 ambush in which two bodies were found burned on December 29 and a third was later discovered burned and dismembered, facts prosecutors link to drug‑trafficking rivalries.
- Among the defendants are figures described by reporting as leaders of the DZ Mafia, including Karim Harrat and Amine Oualane, who face allegations of ordering and carrying out violence tied to narcotics networks.
- Authorities have imposed exceptional security around the courthouse, including a large police deployment and traffic and parking restrictions, and the court contains only professional magistrates to reduce juror risk.
- Amine Kessaci, a Marseille elected official who lost his half‑brother in the 2020 killings and his younger brother in a 2025 motorcycle shooting, is participating as a civil party and will testify to seek answers rather than revenge.