The request for release formulated on November 19 by Berkane Makhlouf, co-accused in the case of the death of little Fiona in 2013, was rejected Thursday November 26 by the investigating chamber of the Lyon Court of Appeal .
To read also: Adrien Taquet: "I am going to launch the States General of the fight against violence against children"
The former father-in-law of the five-year-old girl, and ex-companion of Cécile Bourgeon, Fiona's mother, therefore remains in prison a few days before the appeal trial of the two co-defendants which opens Tuesday before the court of Assises du Rhône, in Lyon, until December 18.
Imprisoned since September 2013, Berkane Makhlouf was sentenced at first instance, in 2016 in Riom (Puy-de-Dôme), to 20 years of criminal imprisonment for having dealt fatal blows to Fiona.
His ex-companion Cécile Bourgeon had been sentenced to 5 years in prison, in particular for false denunciation, after having made believe for months that his daughter had been kidnapped.
During this fourth trial in the case, Cécile Bourgeon will appear free for the first time, having served her 5-year sentence.
A first appeal trial, in 2017, was postponed after accusations of witness tampering and another, in February 2018, had its verdict overturned by the Court of Cassation a year later.