Raphaël Arnault Returns to Assembly After Interview on Lyon Killing

Overview

• The LFI deputy, absent since mid‑February, gave a long interview Wednesday to the outlet Blast and then took his seat in the hemicycle later that day.
• He said he will continue his mandate and insisted he was not at the scene in Lyon and was not aware of what would happen, adding he stayed silent out of fear of wider violence and after receiving death threats.
• The investigation into the fatal beating of 23‑year‑old Quentin Deranque has led to nine indictments, including Arnault’s parliamentary assistant Jacques‑Élie Favrot for alleged complicity and Adrian B. for alleged intentional homicide.
• Specialized units, the Rhône territorial crime division and the anti‑terror sub‑directorate, are running the probe, which underscores how seriously authorities are treating the case.
• Reactions remain split, with LFI figures backing his return and a CSA poll reported by JDD/Europe 1/CNews finding 81% of respondents say he should give up his seat, as scrutiny of the dissolved antifascist group La Jeune Garde and its ties to suspects continues.