Nahel Merzouk: Why the policeman is not liable for life!

Nahel Merzouk: Why the policeman is not liable for life!

Nanterre, Frankreich - On June 27, 2023, the 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk in Nanterre was shot by a French police officer up close, while he was driving a vehicle without a driver's license and refused to stop at a traffic control. Nahel only died shortly after the shots, an incident that caused a lot of excitement in public and led to weekly riots throughout France. During the clashes, numerous businesses were looted, public buildings were destroyed and hundreds of people were injured. The [AP News] (https://apnews.com/article/france-polise-teen-killed-rots-near-near-near- 23531CE01FD579A38C7BD9D0F is reminiscent of these events.

The police officer, whose identity is known as Florian M., was charged with murder. However, false legal claims on social media are circulating, in particular the assumption that he could risk lifelong prison if it turns out that he lied by promising that he had obtained close to him. However, such an assumption does not have a legal basis, because lies are not considered to make the difficult. Rather, according to Article 221-1 of the French Criminal Code, he is charged with murder, which entails a maximum punishment of 30 years in prison, how Lessurligneurs emphasized.

reactions and social consequences

The incident has not only produced legal, but also social reactions. Thousands of people protested against police violence, with many of the persistent problems such as poverty, discrimination and high unemployment in disadvantaged quarter. The fact that Merzouk was North African descent, which increased the idea of systemic racism in the French authorities, also received special attention.

An investigation revealed that the police officer did not act lawfully during traffic control. According to the prosecutor, video recordings emphasized how two civil servants stood by the vehicle's window, while one focused on his gun. This led to the conclusion that the use of weapons was not justified. In addition, the cases of fatal violence by the police in France have risen dramatically since 2017, especially if people do not obey or try to flee. According to Amnesty International, the use of deadly violence grew by five times in such cases.

legal classification and perspectives

The investigation and the upcoming process in 2026 will concentrate on whether the police officer acted with an intention to kill. Possible legal qualifications are murder or intentional violence that led to death without the intention to kill. In order to increase the punishment to lifelong, aggravating circumstances should be proven that are not given in this case. However, the legal scaffolding could develop during the procedure.

These tragic incidents illustrate the urgent need for reforms in dealing with police violence and effective protection of minorities. Human rights organizations such as Amnesty are calling for a revision of the guidelines for arms use and combating systemic racism within the police forces. The demand for justice for Nahel Merzouk remains across all political and social spheres, which also documents the [Amnesty] (https://www.amnesty.de/informieren/aktuell/franz-hiecht-polpol-polpfewaffen use reformer-racism).