One courtroom, two atmospheres at the trial of the Théo affair. On the first day of the trial of three police officers from Aulnay-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis) for “intentional violence” with aggravating circumstances, many of their former colleagues came to support them. Wrapped up in his blue down jacket, Théodore Luhaka sat behind his lawyer, Me Antoine Vey, on the civil parties’ bench. The 28-year-old young man, seriously injured during an identity check seven years ago, is surrounded by his family and his supporters.
Among them is the mother of Nahel, the 17-year-old teenager who was killed by a police officer on June 27, after refusing to comply in Nanterre, in Hauts-de-Seine. Michel Zecler is also present, Tuesday afternoon, at the Assize Court of Seine-Saint-Denis, to support Théo. This music producer was beaten up by police in November 2020 in Paris.
“We often flirted with the obscene”
At the end of the hearing, during which the main accused presented himself as a “victim” of this affair, Michel Zecler spoke on, formerly Twitter. “A lot of empathy from the police but more towards the fate that was reserved for them. We often flirted with the obscene,” he commented.
The trial of the three police officers, which is due to last ten days, continued this Wednesday with the testimony of investigators from the IGPN, the police force. The verdict is expected on January 19.