Montpellier Murder Trial: Brother Confesses to Riyadh’s Death

A mother’s pain shook the courtroom. Nacira El Maamar, 52, has been tirelessly seeking answers since her son was shot in the back on May 16, 2023, in the Val-de-Croze neighborhood. Facing the jury, she expressed her complete bewilderment at this tragedy triggered by material damage. With dignity, she questioned: "I can’t understand, did my son lose his life over a car?". The victim had no criminal record and was not a fighter.

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The atmosphere surrounding this case is particularly explosive. According to the police commander in charge of the investigation, the homicide is not part of a drug trafficking settlement, but results from trivial motives in an environment marked by omerta. This palpable tension moreover degenerated at the courthouse. As MidiLibre reports, a general brawl broke out Wednesday evening in the lobby between certain members of the public, causing the interruption of proceedings.

In the dock, the three brothers implicated struggle to justify their punitive expedition. Armed with a machete, a baseball bat, and a firearm, they attacked the young man in broad daylight, with uncovered faces. The eldest, 31-year-old Salladhine, led the group after discovering bullet impacts on his father’s vehicle, who was traveling in Morocco at the time. Judging the situation intolerable, he stated before the court: "It happened like that, it wasn’t premeditated".

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The turning point of the trial came with the unexpected confessions of Yassine, 29. Silent throughout the investigation, he finally admitted to opening fire, while downplaying his criminal intent. Breaking down in tears, he declared that he simply wanted to make a show of force and did not measure the risk, assuring: "I never intended to take his life". His younger brother, 23-year-old Hafid, regretted foolishly following his elders into this tragedy. The verdict of the Assizes court is expected this Friday, May 22.