MOSCOW (Sputnik), Yulia Shamporova – The trial of French policemen accused of complicity in the death of two teenage Muslims in a power transformer in 2005 was unjustifiably protracted, the national treasurer of France's far-right National Front party has told Sputnik.
"It's absolutely representative for the French society: it [the death of Muslim teenagers] was a complete accident, but during nine years two policemen were pursued in court… And this is absolutely scandalous," Wallerand De Saint Just said on Tuesday.
Bouna Traore, 15, and Zyed Benna, 17, died when they hid in the power transformer along with a third young man, Muhittin Altun, after being chased by Gaillemin and Klein, who had asked them to stop. Altun managed to survive with numerous burns.
"They tried to hide themselves in the power transformer. Nobody obliged them to do so. Of course their death is very painful and tough. And what is also painful is the situation when two policemen are pursued during nine years. This is France," De Saint Just told Sputnik.
Wallerand De Saint Just noted that French authorities took advantage of the lengthy trial of two policemen accused of complicity in the death of teenage Muslims to draw public attention away from social and economic problems.
"Instead of talking and solving these problems in the French society it was preferred to pursue the policemen – make an operation of distraction," Wallerand De Saint Just said, explaining that the suburban ghettos of the French capital are home to a large immigrant population.
The death of the Muslim teenagers in 2005 sparked massive unrest in the "black" districts of Paris, as well as other French cities. The riots involved the burning of cars and public buildings and led to police injuries and hundreds of arrests.
