Overview

• The Lyon prosecutor has formally requested a trial for Saint-Etienne Mayor Gaël Perdriau on charges including blackmail, embezzlement of public funds, and participation in a criminal association.
• The case centers on allegations of blackmail involving a compromising video of former deputy mayor Gilles Artigues, secretly filmed in 2015.
• Three former associates of Perdriau, including his ex-chief of staff and former education deputy, are also implicated in organizing the recording of the video.
• Charges against four other individuals have been recommended for dismissal due to insufficient evidence, according to the prosecutor.
• The final decision on whether to proceed with the trial now rests with the investigating judges overseeing the case.