For Abdelaziz Charhabil, the pill was undoubtedly too hard to swallow. Sentenced to eight years in prison on Thursday by the Besançon Court of Appeal, this 36-year-old inmate escaped while a prison convoy accompanied him to the Lyon-Corbas remand center (69).
A police helicopter to search for the fugitive
During a stop at the Bois des Potets motorway area, in Sampans, near Dole, he took advantage of a trip to the toilet to leave the three prison guards behind. who escorted him.
Pushing them back violently, the thirty-year-old allegedly injured a guard in his escape.
Then he crossed the highway lanes before disappearing into the darkness. The events took place around 20 h 30. A little over 30 minutes earlier, the convoy had left the Besançon courthouse where his trial had just ended.
A system was quickly put in place by the police to search for the fugitive. A helicopter from the aerial section of the Dijon gendarmerie traveled to the scene to support the investigations. In vain. Friday evening, Abdelaziz Charhabil was still actively sought.
« The investigation into the violent escape was entrusted to the Dole research brigade with the support of the Besançon research section. », Explains Julie Fergane, public prosecutor of Lons-le-Saunier. A judicial investigation was opened at the Jura prefecture court.
Charhabil's lawyers stunned
Abdelaziz Charhabil was prosecuted for aggravated extortion, criminal conspiracy and threats.
-Linked to a dispute concerning car sales, these acts were committed in 2020 in the Dole region. Well known to the courts, he had been sentenced to six years in prison at first instance in Lons-le-Saunier, with arrest warrant. After appealing the decision, he was taken from Corbas remand center this Thursday for this second trial in Besançon.
His counsel pleaded for acquittal. The court magistrates acquitted him for the criminal conspiracy charges, but convicted him for the rest, increasing his sentence to eight years in prison.
For their part, Charhabil’s lawyers are stunned. More stunned by the court decision than by their client's escape. « I don't condone what he did, but we can understand his dismay. », confides Me Julien Charles, defense lawyer who details: “ At first instance, the public prosecutor had requested 10 years in prison against him and he received six years. It was already severe. He was not present at the first trial and appealed to explain himself to the courts. On Thursday, the public prosecutor requested between 4 and 5 years in prison against him and the court sentenced him to eight years in prison… »
Me Anthony Truchy, another lawyer for the offender, protests : « The president of the court who conducted the investigation listened to himself speak more than he listened to the defendant. We come to explain ourselves humbly to ask for another sentence and we obtain a ludicrous, not to say ridiculous, court decision. »
