Eight months suspended prison sentence for Adama Traoré's brother after a banned protest

Ysoufou Traoré, brother of Adama Traoré, was sentenced by the Paris Criminal Court to eight months in prison, to be served under house arrest with an electronic tag, for insulting and assaulting police officers during a banned rally held in July 2023 in memory of his brother. His lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou, announced he would appeal, denouncing the decision as a "judicial farce," while Assa Traoré spoke of a "witch hunt" targeting her family.

The judges found the defendant guilty on several counts, determining that the videos submitted as evidence showed an act of violence against a police officer. In addition to his sentence, Ysoufou Traoré will have to pay damages to several police officers. During his trial in early June, he denied all the accusations, claiming he had never assaulted law enforcement.

An arrest amid high tensions

The events date back to July 8, 2023, a few days after the riots sparked by Nahel's death. Authorities had banned the annual gathering in tribute to Adama Traoré, who died in 2016 after being apprehended by police officers. Despite this ban, the organizers maintained their call to assemble at Place de la République in Paris.

The prosecution accused Ysoufou Traoré of insulting a police commissioner, striking a police officer in the chest, and violently resisting arrest near the Gare de l'Est train station. Injured during the arrest, he was given ten days of sick leave, notably due to a broken nose. His complaint filed with the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN) was subsequently dismissed.