He acts on behalf of a police officer on the front line on the evening of July 14, 2016 in Nice, and for whom the consequences of the attack are still “unimaginable” seven years later. Me Juan Branco has just filed a complaint with the Court of Justice of the Republic (CRJ) against Bernard Cazeneuve, Minister of the Interior at the material time. A complaint was filed for involuntary manslaughter and endangering the lives of others, we learned 20 minutes from the Franco-Spanish lawyer and political activist, confirming information from Nice morning.
The council and its client, who “since then has alternated between work stoppages and unpaid leave”, hope to launch a procedure parallel to that opened by the Nice public prosecutor’s office on the security system for the Promenade des Anglais. A framework that the 45-year-old police officer himself judged, upon his arrival on the scene, to be “too light”. The prefect at the time and his chief of staff, but also Christian Estrosi and Philippe Pradal, deputy for security and mayor of Nice in July 2016, were placed under the status of assisted witnesses as part of this judicial investigation, the conclusions are eagerly awaited by the civil parties. But the former first cop of France was not heard. A member of the government who can only be prosecuted by the court now seized by the lawyer, controversial for some of his positions.
In the context of an ISIS call
A year ago, during the trial organized to judge the accomplices of Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, the attacker, Me Juan Branco launched an acidic plea for another hearing to be held against “those who had the heavy responsibility of protecting the citizens “. He then bluntly denounced a certain “impunity”, “built by a game of favors”. Today, he explains that the Minister of the Interior actually had “a responsibility for both hierarchical supervision of security operations but also a major political responsibility”.
“As early as September 2014, when we participated in the bombing campaigns in Syria, the spokesperson for the Islamic State called for attacking French people and mentioned the use of ram cars. And Bernard Cazeneuve is perfectly aware of this since he replied a few days later that France is not afraid, he recalls again, questioned by 20 minutes. However, he is not going to order the taking of measures which will allow the French to be secure in relation to these threats. He is not going to ensure with the prefectures that events like the one taking place on July 14 on the Promenade des Anglais are sufficiently supervised. »
“The intentional element is therefore characterized here”
The closure of the roads “was not ordered” that evening, nor was the installation of “concrete blocks”, “allowing the speed of the truck to be reduced”, recalls his complaint. And this, even though this “organization of a closed system” had been discussed by representatives of the State and the city before the event. And that it had finally been dismissed a few days earlier and “with full knowledge of the facts”. “The intentional element is therefore characterized here, supports the text. This negligence on the part of the Minister of the Interior, through the absence of measures taken, allowed Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel to go to the Promenade des Anglais in Nice with a truck without any difficulty, and to hit hundreds of people. »
The attack, part of “inspired terrorism” according to investigators, who were unable to establish “any direct link between the Islamic State and the author of the attack”, left 458 injured and 86 dead. . Not to mention that of the 31-year-old Tunisian shot dead by the police at the end of his deadly race. The trial organized before the special assize court of Paris ended in December 2022 with sentences of two to eighteen years’ imprisonment for eight of his accomplices. Two men, who appealed this verdict, will be retried from April 22 to June 14, 2024.
To “relaunch” the judicial information opened in Nice
But the civil parties are also awaiting answers on the possible responsibilities of the public authorities that evening. And Mr. Juan Branco hopes that the referral to the Court of Justice of the Republic “relaunches” the judicial information opened in Nice, “which is slipping and which seems to be moving towards a dismissal of the case”, according to him. “It is necessary to find out if there was not a State omerta that was constructed in this case,” concludes the lawyer, a supporter of certain revolutionary ideas.
The CRJ confirmed to Nice morning in any case have received his complaint. This must now pass into the hands of the jurisdiction’s requests committee, which will have to decide whether or not to launch proceedings. In any case, it won’t be until next year. Contacted by email this Tuesday, Bernard Cazeneuve had not responded at the time of publication of this article.