A French prosecutor on Thursday requested homicide charges against seven individuals accused in the fatal beating of a far-right activist, a case that has sparked political outrage beyond France’s borders.
The tensions escalated to the point that President Emmanuel Macron urged Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to keep out of French domestic matters.
Quentin Deranque, 23, died from head injuries after being attacked by at least six people on the sidelines of a far-right protest in Lyon on Feb. 12. Most of the 11 suspects who had been detained are from far-left movements.
Prosecutor Thierry Dran told a press conference he had requested "intentional homicide" charges against seven men and recommended they remain in custody to avoid any "disturbance to public order."
The killing has fuelled political tensions ahead of municipal elections in March and France's 2027 presidential race, in which the far-right National Rally (RN) party is seen as having its best chance yet at winning the top job.
