Before marching, protesters first gathered this Sunday in front of the residence where El Hacen Diarra lived. The 35-year-old man died in police custody on the night of January 14. A judicial investigation was opened on Monday by the Paris prosecutor’s office.
Nearly 500 people converged this Sunday afternoon towards the social residence of migrant workers Les Mûriers where El Hacen Diarra lived in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. A gathering initiated by a collective from the residence.
At the start of the demonstration, the crowd observed a minute of silence. The procession then moved calmly to reach Place Gambetta.
«Justice for El Hacen!» chanted the protesters. Among them was anti-racism activist Assa Traoré, the older sister of Adama Traoré, who died in 2016 after an arrest.
The procession towards Place Gambetta in the 20th arrondissement.
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© France 3 Paris Île-de-France
El Hacen Diarra, a 35-year-old Mauritanian, died on the night of Wednesday, January 14th to Thursday, January 15th, 2026 while in police custody at the police station of the 20th arrondissement of Paris. His family denounces police violence.
A video filmed by neighbors during his arrest, in front of the migrant workers’ residence where he lived, circulated on social media. It shows two police officers, one of them kneeling, delivering two punches to a man held on the ground. According to a sound analysis conducted by the deceased’s family, El Hacen Diarra can be heard shouting: «You’re strangling me!»
The Paris prosecutor’s office stated that «the body cameras of the arresting officers were not functional, allegedly due to their battery being discharged.»
A investigating judge is now tasked with investigating the circumstances of his death. A judicial investigation was opened on Monday by the Paris prosecutor’s office for «intentional violence by a person in authority resulting in death.»
The next day, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that there was «no reason to suspend» the police officers involved. The Inspection générale nationale (IGPN), the «police of the police,» was seized on Friday. The family demanded the arrest of the police officers.
«I stick to my line,» responded Laurent Nuñez to Le Parisien. «I do not ask for the suspension of the officials until it is established that they are at fault. The officer who, in the images, delivers two punches will have to explain himself.»
Cependant, à ce stade, les causes de la mort ne sont pas encore connues», a encore affirmé le ministre.
Le ministre a souligné qu’à ce stade, rien ne permet d’identifier les causes du décès de El Hacen Diarra. Une enquête est en cours pour déterminer les circonstances exactes de sa mort en garde à vue.
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Camille Dupont
Je suis Camille Dupont, professionnelle junior en communication digitale. Je crée et gère du contenu pour les réseaux sociaux et les médias en ligne, en combinant copywriting, narration visuelle et montage de base. Formée en communication audiovisuelle et titulaire d’un master en contenus digitaux, je suis motivée par le storytelling et par la connexion avec les jeunes audiences à travers du contenu créatif.
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