Selon les chiffres de la préfecture de police, un millier de personnes se sont rassemblées dimanche 18 janvier dans le 20e arrondissement de Paris en hommage à El Hacen Diarra, un homme mauritanien de 35 ans décédé en garde à vue après son arrestation pour possession de cannabis. Des images de son interpellation violente ont circulé sur les réseaux sociaux, provoquant des réactions indignées de la part de responsables politiques. Une enquête de l’Inspection générale de la police nationale est en cours, et une information judiciaire pour «violences ayant entraîné la mort» a été ouverte. Les circonstances exactes du décès de la victime restent à déterminer, avec des témoins affirmant avoir vu des violences extrêmes subies par le défunt. Une vidéo de l’interpellation a été authentifiée et versée au dossier.
According to Nathalie Arthaud, spokesperson for Lutte Ouvrière and candidate in the 2027 presidential election, the situation is «revolting«.
Several left-wing politicians from Paris were present at the gathering on Sunday, including environmentalist David Belliard, communist Ian Brossat, and LFI candidate for mayor of Paris, Sophia Chikirou. «We will have to fight to get the truth», she anticipated on X, criticizing racial profiling and denouncing the fact that «many people are killed or massacred under the pretext of being arrested».
The socialist candidate for mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, mentioned the complaint filed by the family. «All my thoughts go out to them, his loved ones, and all the people mobilized, who demand justice and truth», he wrote on X.
Assa Traoré, a prominent figure in the fight against police violence, expressed her dismay at the similarities between this death and the death of her brother Adama: «It’s always the same thing: they say the victim had drugs on them, that they were violent, and that’s why they were arrested and died simply from cardiac causes, without it being questioned.» She denounces a reversal of the victim’s burden: «An investigation is conducted against the victim, who becomes the guilty party, and a narrative is painted for public opinion that ends up saying, ‘He was a criminal who deserved to die’.»
A thousand people gathered on Sunday, January 18, in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, according to the police prefecture, in tribute to El Hacen Diarra. This 35-year-old Mauritanian man died on the night of Wednesday, January 14, to Thursday, January 15 while in police custody. He had been arrested in possession of cannabis, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.
Images, presented as being of his violent arrest, quickly circulated on social media, prompting outraged reactions from several political leaders. An investigation by the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN), the police oversight body, is ongoing. The Paris prosecutor’s office also announced to franceinfo on Monday, January 19, the opening of a judicial investigation for «violence resulting in death». «This is the case systematically when a person dies in a place of deprivation of liberty», notes the public prosecutor. Here’s what we know about this case.
The victim suffered a cardiac arrest at the 20th district police station
El Hacen Diarra was arrested on Wednesday evening by police officers from the territorial contact brigades (BTC), «who saw him rolling a joint of cannabis», the Paris prosecutor’s office announced on Thursday, specifying that the man fell to the ground at the moment of his arrest.
«Indicating that they were faced with a refusal to submit to frisking, the police officers proceeded to arrest the suspect, who fell to the ground, causing two police officers to fall with him twice. One police officer indicated having used a Taser, hitting him notably on the ankle», details the prosecutor’s office.
Taken to the premises of the 20th district police station, El Hacen Diarra fell again, according to the prosecutor’s office. Seeing the man injured on the eyebrow, a police officer requested his transfer to the hospital. But it was too late. «While he was waiting on a bench in the police station, [he] was seen having a seizure, his cardiorespiratory arrest was noted, and a police officer began cardiac massage, continued by the firefighters upon their arrival at 11:45 PM. The person’s death was confirmed at 12:20 AM,» reports the prosecutor’s office.
The victim’s body was taken to the forensic institute for an autopsy, adds the same source, specifying that El Hacen Diarra was in possession of fake administrative documents and a brownish substance resembling cannabis at the time of his arrest, but tested negative for alcohol. The initial findings of the autopsy «do not allow at this stage any assertion regarding the causality of death», emphasizes the Paris prosecutor’s office on Monday evening to franceinfo, waiting for the full report from the forensic pathologist «in its entirety». «A thorough reading of the report may help better understand» the exact circumstances of the death, notes the public prosecutor, recalling that despite its urgent request, the preparation of the report takes several days.
A video filmed by a neighbor shows a violent arrest
Shared on social media on January 17 by several left-wing political leaders, a video shows a violent arrest presented as that of El Hacen Diarra. The image authentication unit of France Télévisions, Les Révélateurs, confirms that the images were indeed filmed at 27 rue Fernand-Léger, in the 20th arrondissement, near the Les Mûriers hostel where the man lived. The video was added to the case file on Saturday, the prosecutor’s office tells franceinfo, noting that at this stage, the police have not questioned the veracity of these images: «There is no dispute at this stage.»
El Hacen Diarra is seen groaning, repeatedly struck by a policeman lying on him for over a minute. The family’s lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou, denounced, Sunday on franceinfo, «compelling evidence» visible in the video: «Police officers hitting a man on the ground, putting their weight on this man, and you can hear this man on the ground begging.« He told franceinfo that he requested an analysis of the video’s sound, in which the victim is heard saying repeatedly: «You’re choking me.»
The video ends when other police officers come to assist their colleagues.
Des témoins rapportent à l’AFP avoir observé une «mare de sang sur les lieux de l’interpellation, attestant de violences extrêmes subies» par le défunt.
Une information judiciaire et une enquête de l’IGPN ont été ouvertes
Une enquête pour «recherche des causes de la mort» a été confiée à l’IGPN dès jeudi. Parallèlement, la famille de la victime a déposé une plainte. Le parquet de Paris a annoncé lundi l’ouverture d’une information judiciaire pour «violences ayant entrainé la mort». Cependant, l’avocat de la famille, Yassine Bouzrou, a critiqué cette réaction tardive en déclarant : «La saisine tardive d’un juge d’instruction, cinq jours après le décès de monsieur El Hacen Diarra, ne saurait masquer l’inaction coupable du parquet.»
Le Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l’amitié entre les peuples (Mrap) a également demandé la suspension «à titre conservatoire» des policiers impliqués dans l’interpellation, exprimant sa colère et son indignation face à ce drame survenu à la suite d’un contrôle au faciès.
Plusieurs personnalités politiques de gauche dénoncent des violences policières
Des personnalités politiques de gauche ont réagi à la vidéo de l’interpellation, dénonçant les violences policières. Nathalie Arthaud de Lutte ouvrière a dénoncé une liste croissante de violences policières, tandis que des élus parisiens de gauche comme David Belliard, Ian Brossat et Sophia Chikirou se sont mobilisés pour obtenir la vérité sur cette affaire.
Emmanuel Grégoire, candidat socialiste à la mairie de Paris, a exprimé son soutien à la famille de la victime et à toutes les personnes mobilisées pour réclamer justice et vérité.
Assa Traoré, militante contre les violences policières, a souligné les similitudes entre ce décès et celui de son frère Adama, dénonçant un système qui tend à discréditer les victimes et à les présenter comme des coupables.
Un millier de personnes se sont rassemblées en hommage à El Hacen Diarra, un homme mauritanien de 35 ans décédé en garde à vue, suscitant une vague d’indignation et de mobilisation. Une enquête de l’IGPN est en cours, et une information judiciaire a été ouverte pour «violences ayant entrainé la mort». Les circonstances de ce drame sont encore floues, et les proches de la victime réclament la vérité. Le ministère public souligne que la lecture approfondie du rapport pourrait éventuellement permettre une meilleure compréhension des circonstances exactes du décès, malgré le délai de plusieurs jours nécessaire à son élaboration. Please rewrite this sentence for me.
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