Moroccan Man Hospitalized After Violent Assault in Briançon, Drug-Related Motive Suspected

The two young men are suspected of having beaten up on the public highway, using a bottle and a knife, a 37-year-old migrant from Morocco, on June 14, reports France info. Currently, the police are looking for a third man, suspected of being an accomplice. The assault could be linked to drug trafficking in a neighborhood of the city, estimates a judicial source. "The assaulted migrant, who would have been the victim of reprisals, is still hospitalized," says a source close to the investigation.

The arrest of the two suspects took place last Friday. When he saw the police, one of them fled. He had taken refuge inside the premises of the Refuge solidaire de Briançon. This is an emergency shelter for migrants crossing the Franco-Italian border.

The two men are known to the justice system. The Gap prosecutor’s office reports that they were indicted and placed in pre-trial detention last weekend. They are being prosecuted for "aggravated violence" and "acts of intimidation".