Death of Nahel: The Court of Cassation reopens the way for a murder trial

The Court of Cassation on Friday overturned the reclassification of the facts aimed at the police officer who fired the shot The fatal shooting of Nahel Merzouk. The Versailles Court of Appeal's decision, handed down in March, had dismissed the charge of murder in favor of "violence resulting in death without intent to kill." This reclassification has now been overturned.

The risk of death is at the heart of the decision.

The Court of Cassation considers that the investigating chamber did not sufficiently justify its decision. It notes that the police officer had voluntarily used his service weapon at close range, aiming at an area considered vital, and that he was necessarily aware of the lethal risk of his action.

The case is being sent back to Versailles.

The case has been referred back to the Versailles Court of Appeal, which will have to rule again on the criminal classification of the facts. A murder trial before a jury is therefore once again possible, although not yet definitively confirmed. The next decision could also be subject to further appeals.

As a reminder, 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk was killed on June 27, 2023, in Nanterre during a traffic stop. A police officer shot him at point-blank range while he was behind the wheel of the vehicle. His death sparked several nights of urban violence in numerous French cities.

The legal process has been restarted.

On June 3, 2025, two investigating judges ordered the police officer to stand trial before the Assize Court for murder. The officer appealed. In March 2026, the Versailles Court of Appeal changed the charge and shifted the case to a trial for manslaughter. The Court of Cassation has now overturned this decision.

The Court of Cassation, however, upheld the dismissal of charges against the second police officer present during the intervention. This part of the Versailles Court of Appeal's decision therefore stands. The annulment only concerns the classification of the charges against the officer who fired the shot. It should be noted that the Court of Cassation does not rule on the officer's guilt. It verifies whether the legal rules were correctly applied. By overturning the reclassification, it mandates a new examination of the criminal classification: murder or violence resulting in death without intent to kill. It is now up to the Versailles investigating chamber to decide the matter again.