Several businesses and the Pissevin police station, which was to be inaugurated four days later, were destroyed by this fire Midi Libre – Archive Mika Anisset
Me Dounia Hamchouch is the lawyer of Yacine, the defendant. Midi Libre – C.R.
The police station in the Pissevin district of Nîmes and businesses were set on fire during the night of August 20 to 21, 2024 in Nîmes. Tried in immediate appearance on January 10, 2024, a 28-year-old man who denies the facts was sentenced to 8 years in prison by the Nîmes criminal court after a long deliberation.
Five days before its inauguration by the Minister of the Interior at the time, Gérald Darmanin, the new police station in the Pissevin district was set on fire during the night of August 21 to 22, 2024, in Nîmes. A shock for the residents of this district plagued by drug trafficking. And a provocation.
The fire ravaged the Wagner bakery, the butcher's shop, the Point de la Chance tobacconist's, and damaged the Crédit Agricole premises. The criminals climbed through the roofs to pour flammable liquid into the chimney flues. The explosion was so strong that the wall dividing two of these businesses collapsed. The criminals climbed over the gate of the Territories and Sea Department, used a garbage container to reach one of the terraces and transported two cans of fuel.
Implicated in this monstrous fire, Yasine. B appeared this Friday, January 10, before the Nîmes Criminal Court, as part of an immediate appearance. This 28-year-old from Nîmes who had gone abroad was arrested by the police upon his return to Nîmes in November 2024. “I have nothing to do with this. It's impossible”, protested throughout this hearing, this young man defended by his lawyer Me Dounia Hamchouch.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000There are these surveillance videos showing a tall, skinny young man and a much smaller kid. Yasine, who lives in the Beaucaire road area of Nîmes, has never been implicated in drug trafficking. He has been convicted of traffic offences, refusals to comply and most recently for a robbery at a meeting with 18 months in prison. Questioned by the police on his return from Spain when he had fled after a day off, the Nîmes native claimed that he was not in Nîmes on the night of 21 to 22 August 2024.
“I was in the neighbourhood to buy a piece of hash”
Change of speech, this Friday. Yes, he was in the Pissevin neighborhood, the defendant admitted. It is indeed him who appears “briefly” on one of the images but not those that could compromise him. Yasine claims that he just met this 15-year-old minor, sentenced on December 2, 2024, by the juvenile court in this case (1). “I went to the Wagner gallery to buy my piece of hash for €10. It has nothing to do with it. The little guy (who was sentenced) took responsibility. Everyone knows he was with Perpignan… I have nothing to do with this story. It's impossible.”
“ It's definitely him who's on the roof, avenue des Arts”, maintains the representative of the prosecution, Clémence Bravais who requested 8 years in prison. The minor who was convicted by the juvenile court implicated Yasine, the magistrate said. Me Dounia Hamchouch, who defends Yasine, pleaded for acquittal. “This procedure is radically flawed. Yacine's DNA does not appear anywhere”, protests the lawyer.
The defendant's lawyer announces that she is appealing the decision
After a very long deliberation, the court rendered its decision. The grounds for nullity filed by the defense were rejected. Yasine is sentenced to 8 years in prison. “I have nothing to do with this”, Yasine shouts and protests one last time. Me Dounia Hamchouch announced that she is appealing this decision.
(1) The minor was sentenced by the juvenile court to 3 years in prison, 2 of which were suspended on probation. His lawyer, Me Camille Alliez, appealed.