The National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (Pnat) appealed seven of the nine acquittals pronounced in favor of members of the ultra-right Barjols group, who were suspected of having planned "violent actions" against the head of state
or
migrants in 2017-2018, AFP learned on Friday from a judicial source.
On February 17, the Paris Criminal Court had found guilty three members of this small terrorist association of criminals, considering that for them there were indeed "
preparatory acts
" in connection with a plan to assassinate President Emmanuel Macron in November. 2018. The 16th correctional chamber, specializing in terrorism cases, had sentenced them to terms ranging from three years in prison, two of which were suspended, to four years in prison, three of which were closed for the former number 2 of the group.
On the other hand, the judges had released nine other members of this small group founded in 2017 on Facebook and had pronounced a partial release with regard to a tenth, sentenced to a suspended sentence for possession and illegal sale of weapons.
According to the judicial source, the Pnat appealed this partial release, as well as seven of the total releases.
'Very real threat'
No appeal was lodged against the releases decided for Antoine D., a young man who suffers from serious mental disorders, and for Delphine T. The Pnat had not requested the conviction at the hearing, nor moreover the referral to the criminal court of this former secretary in the army.
Read alsoAt the Barjols trial, the defense faced with “very first degree justice”
During the trial, the anti-terrorism prosecutor had requested six firm prison sentences - ranging up to five years -, as many suspended sentences and an acquittal, judging the threat "
very real
" even if the projects of the ultra-right group do not were not "
all successful
".
The first crackdown took place on November 6, 2018, with the arrest of four men in Moselle by the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI), which feared an imminent action against the Head of State. then traveling in the East of France.
These arrests had marked the beginning of the investigations into this nationalist identity group.