A French court has sentenced seven people to two years in prison for racist attacks in Lyon during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Five defendants were sentenced to 4 years in prison, two of them – on probation, one more – to one year of imprisonment, including 6 months of probation, the seventh – to one year of imprisonment on probation.
The defendants range in age from 22 to 34 and are suspected of being involved in the attacks on the evening of 19 July 2019 in the center of Lyon following Algeria’s victory in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
They were assigned to a group of about 30 people, incited by the far right to attack Algerian supporters, many of whom were armed with iron bars and baseball bats.
The defendants maintained that they were not part of any group and denied that any violence had taken place. As Jean-Francois Barry, a lawyer for one of the defendants, said: “This is a fairly fair decision in terms of analysis. But it’s still too early to say if we’re going to appeal.”
The evening of July 19, 2019 turned into a real nightmare for some Algerian fans. Who celebrated the Greens’ coronation in the African Cup of Nations. People, some of whom were connected or close to far-right groups, attacked Old Lyon. They plundered and vented their hatred for the Algerians.
After considering a case of racial violence last Friday, the Court of Correction of Lyon issued its verdict. Seven defendants were found guilty and sentenced to prison terms.
Source: An-Nahar newspaper.