French officer faces murder trial for killing of teenager in 2023

Euronews

2 days ago

Police in the Hungarian capital issued an order on Tuesday denying a request to hold an pro-LGBTQ+ event in Budapest, a consequence of recent steps by the right-wing government aimed at banning the popular Budapest Pride march.
The police's decision to prohibit the event planned for later this month came after Hungary's parliament passed legislation in March that allowed the government to ban public events by LGBTQ+ communities.
That was followed a month later by a constitutional amendment banning such events.
Both moves were slammed by legal scholars and critics decried it as another step towards authoritarianism by what they call an autocratic government.
In its justification for prohibiting the Budapest event, which organisers requested to take place on 28 June, the city's police argued that "it cannot be ruled out, or is even inevitable, that a person under the age of 18 will be able to engage in legally prohibited conduct" if attending the proposed march.
The police also contended that the march could result in "passive victims," who, "because of the assembly's march-like nature, did not wish to attend the assembly but, because of its public nature, nevertheless become a bystander."
In a statement, the organisers called the police decision "a textbook example of tyranny."
"The police did not ban Pride but the rainbow parade that was originally allowed but in our opinion this is legally absurd," Amnesty International spokesperson Áron Demeter, one of the organisers of the march, told the 24.hu news outlet.
The ban on LGBTQ+ events, which the government says ensures children's rights to moral, physical and spiritual development, allows for fines on people organising or taking part in Pride events and the use of facial recognition software to identify them.
Hungary's contentious "child protection" legislation prohibits the "depiction or promotion" of homosexuality to anyone under the age of 18.
Hungarian officials have given contradictory statements as to whether or not the new policies amount to a full ban on Budapest Pride.
In a speech to supporters in February, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán advised organisers "not to bother organising this year's parade," calling it "wasted money and time."
The Budapest Police attached photographs and videos to its statement depicting scenes from previous Budapest Pride events, ostensibly as evidence to corroborate its view that the march was likely to violate the new laws banning public displays of homosexuality.
France, Germany and Spain were among at least 20 European Union nations who last month called on Hungary to revise its legislation banning LGBTQ+ events, expressing concern that it runs contrary to the fundamental values of human dignity, freedom, equality and respect for human rights enshrined in EU treaties.
Organisers of Budapest Pride, which draws tens of thousands annually and is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, have vowed that the event will go ahead as planned despite the threat of legal sanctions.
A French police officer will face a murder trial next year over the 2023 killing of teenager Nahel Merzouk, authorities said on Tuesday.
The trial of the 38-year-old officer — a decision reached at the end of a two-year investigation — could take place in the second or third quarter of 2026, the court and prosecutor in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, where the killing at point-blank range took place, said in a joint statement.
The lawyer for Merzouk's mother, Frank Berton, welcomed the order for a trial.
"We are just seeing the law being applied (...) Now all that remains is to convince the court," he told the domestic press.
Meanwhile, the defendant's lawyer criticised the decision, adding it was "both disappointing and not surprising."
"The investigating judge would have had to be courageous to take a different position than that of the prosecution," Laurent-Franck Liénard, the officer's lawyer said, adding that he would appeal against the order.
"We maintain that the shooting was legitimate," he said.
The officer, identified by domestic media as Florian M, was charged with Merzouk's murder.
He was released from custody in November 2023 after five months in detention pending further investigation. He is currently under judicial supervision, meaning his movements are restricted.
Merzouk, a teenager of North African descent, was shot dead on 27 June 2023 as he pulled away from police during a traffic stop.
Police initially maintained that Merzouk had driven his car at the officer.
However, this was contradicted by a video which showed two officers standing outside a stationary car, with one pointing a weapon at its driver.
A voice was heard saying: "You are going to get a bullet in the head."
Video footage of the shooting itself went viral and sparked protests that escalated into rioting and led to scenes of devastation nationwide. Thousands of people were arrested as the government ratcheted up its law enforcement response to quell the unrest, injuring hundreds.
Between 2022 and Merzouk's murder the following year, 15 people were killed by police during traffic stops. Not all officers were charged.
After the death of Merzouk, the UN called on France to address "the deep-rooted problems of racism and racial discrimination" in its police force.
Meanwhile, the Council of Europe's human rights monitoring body, ECRI, warned last month that law enforcement officials across Europe continue to use racial profiling.
The ECRI has long recommended that French authorities introduce an effective system of recording identity checks by law enforcement officers.
"France is one country of concern when it comes to racial profiling," ECRI chair Bertil Cottier told Euronews.
"We noticed a couple of months ago sadly that our recommendation on combating racial profiling — in particular on tracing the police officers who (incorrectly) stopped people — has been ignored so far," he added.
Denmark has quit the so-called Frugal Four to embrace instead a "more flexible" attitude towards the European Union's seven-year budget, the country's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has said, insisting the imperative goal of rearming the bloc against Russia should take precedence over "all other priorities".
"As Danes, we will always be tough in the negotiations on the budget. We don't want money to be spent on (anything) that is not necessary for Europe. So we will be tough, but being a part of the Frugal Four is no longer the right place for us," Frederiksen said on Tuesday, speaking next to Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament.
"For me, the most important thing is to rearm Europe. That's my starting point, and that's my conclusion in all discussions. Because if Europe is not able to protect ourselves and to defend ourselves, then it's game over at some point," she went on.
"So rearming Europe is for me number one."
The Frugal Four was an informal group made up of the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and Denmark during the bloc's budget talks in 2020. The fiscally conservative coalition, which at times was supported by Finland, pushed hard to keep common spending in check, opposing the expansionary vision espoused by France and the South.
The agreement depended on unanimity, meaning one "no" was enough to block it.
Pressure from the Frugal Four proved instrumental in reshaping the balance of the €750 billion COVID recovery fund, reducing the share of grants, which were paid collectively, and increasing the share of loans, paid back individually.
The group's behind-the-scenes manoeuvring was closely scrutinised by the media, further consolidating its name. Critics often accused them of being uncompromising and insensitive to the needs of countries worst hit by the pandemic.
Five years later, Brussels is gearing up for another all-out, protracted battle to approve the next common budget for the 2028-2034 period, with the European Commission expected to present the first proposal before the summer break.
Just don't count on Denmark to advocate the virtues of frugality, Frederiksen said.
"Last time, we had a leading role in the Frugal Four. Next time, we'll have a leading role in another group, because things have changed and the world is changing rapidly. And we have to find the right answers to all these challenges in front of us," she said.
The premier argued that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine had irreversibly transformed the financial equation and that, as a result, "all other priorities and all other principles" should be decided "after" the bloc settles its rearmament plan.
Last month, member states agreed on a €150-billion programme of low-interest loans to drastically boost military spending across the bloc. The plan, named SAFE, is the main element of a broader initiative, "Readiness 2030", to mobilise up to €800 billion.
"For me, the latest point will be 2030, and we are running out of time because of Russia's behaviour," she said, referring to an estimated date by which the Kremlin could have the necessary capabilities to attack a NATO country.
"Because of Russia's behaviour, because of all the threats against Europe and a very uncertain situation for Europe and a very insecure world, then we need a new budget."
Denmark is not alone in shifting its tone.
Finland and Sweden, which applied to join NATO after Russia launched its unprovoked war, have also softened their position towards the EU budget, urging the bloc to think bigger to boost defence investment and support for Kyiv.
The Netherlands, by contrast, has stood its ground to shoot down any idea of "Eurobonds" or common borrowing. Germany, which was not officially part of the Frugal Four but had similar views, has also ruled out permanent joint debt at the EU level.
Speaking on behalf of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola agreed with Frederiksen on the need to be flexible and agile, but stressed that one political priority must not come at the expense of other crucial financial envelopes.
"What we would not want is that we put everything in one or two programmes and forget everything else," Metsola said. "This is where we will need to come to a compromise."
Denmark will take over the six-month presidency of the EU Council on 1 July.