The end of the trial in the case of Axelle Dorier, a 22-year-old young woman who died after being dragged 800 meters in July 2020 in Lyon, was particularly eventful.
After the verdict announced by the Rhône Assize Court - Youcef Tebbal, the driver of the vehicle, was sentenced to 12 years in prison and Mohamed Yelloule, the passenger, to 5 years in prison, including two closed -, the spirits warmed up.
Just after the announcement of the sentences, a woman from the entourage of Mohamed Yelloule burst into tears while shouting in the courtroom.
She ended up collapsing between two benches, visibly unwell, while continuing to scream, close to Axelle Dorier's loved ones, dejected and silent.
The scene, in a confused atmosphere, lasted at least two minutes.
Some witnesses saw it as a provocation towards the victim's family.
Read alsoDeath of Axelle Dorier, dragged over 800 meters in Lyon: anger and incidents after the verdict
Exasperated by this scene, one of Axelle Dorier's two brothers, Theo, cracked.
He got up from the benches of the civil parties then headed for an exit from the courtroom.
At that moment, he shouted "
bitch
" at the woman in question while waving his arm.
According to our information, two witnesses - two journalists from France 3 and BFM Lyon - interpreted this gesture as a Nazi salute.
These two journalists were to be interviewed later.
After leaving the courtroom, Théo Dorier then broke a window in the registry of the Assize Court.
Present during the verdict,
Le Figaro
actually saw Axelle Dorier's brother having a gesture of humor, while he uttered insults, but did not identify in this gesture a Nazi salute.
“We saw him raise his arm but it didn't look like a Nazi salute at all
,” assure us two witnesses, who came to the trial as spectators, seated right next to the exit taken by Théo Dorier.
During the verdict, a hundred people were in the courtroom.
At the request of the Lyon prosecutor's office, Théo Dorier was summoned on Saturday January 21, at 10 a.m., to be heard concerning his gesture.
An investigation has been opened for "
public provocation to hatred or violence
" and for "
voluntary degradation
", the Lyon prosecutor's office told AFP.
“
Investigations are continuing to determine the exact nature of this gesture
”, detailed the prosecution.
Théo Dorier sued for defamation
The lawyer for the Dorier family, Me Gabriel Versini-Bullara, announces this Sunday, January 22 in
Le Figaro
that Théo Dorier has just filed a complaint for defamation.
“
Theo assured me that he never made this Hitlerian or Mussolinian salute.
It is not in his philosophy of life to be Nazi or Fascist in orientation.
The peremptory and false assertions of certain journalists must be corrected by a complaint for defamation
”, continues the lawyer.
Other incidents involving relatives of the convicts also erupted outside the courtroom and in the lobby of the courthouse on Friday after the announcement of the verdict.
A policeman was punched in the face and had 5 days of ITT.
Another policeman was also injured.
Journalists were verbally threatened for filming the incidents.
The troublemakers, about fifteen individuals, were removed from the judicial precincts by the police.
The author of the punch, a 38-year-old man living in Vaulx-en-Velin, was arrested on Saturday January 21.
He will be judged in immediate appearance, with two other individuals, this Monday.
