On January 7, 2015, in the Charlie Hebdo editorial conference room, he was the first person targeted by the Kouachi brothers. Simon Fieschi, 41, was found dead this Thursday, October 17, in a hotel room in Paris. In a press release, the Paris Prosecutor’s Office indicated that a “investigation into the causes of death” was opened following the discovery of the body of the former webmaster of the satirical newspaper, and that the conclusions of the autopsy were not “unable to determine the cause of death”. The lawyer and advisor to the family of Simon Fieschi, for her part, underlined “that contrary to what has been announced by certain media, there is no element in favor of a voluntary action at this stage of the investigations and the causes of death are still currently unknown”.
Locked in his own body
On the day of the Charlie Hebdo attack, Simon Fieschi was pierced by a Kalashnikov bullet which hit, among other things, his spinal cord. When he regained consciousness after a week in a coma, he found himself trapped in his own body. After nine months of hospitalization, and at the cost of formidable and constantly renewed efforts, he finally managed to walk again, with a cane. He recounted, in Charlie Hebdo, his very difficult reconstruction, in a poignant text. In recent years, he has dedicated himself to testifying in schools, and to working for compensation for victims of terrorism, as he testified in Fabienne Sintes’ show, le Telephone sonne, on France Inter, le September 19 last year. “Simon Fieschi was a man of exceptional sensitivity and intelligence”wrote on X the honorary president of the 13onze15 association, Georges Salines, recalling that the former journalist “was one of those who went with us to the schools to talk to the students and support the teachers.”
At the trial of the Kouachi brothers’ accomplices in 2020, he insisted on testifying standing up. “That ball didn’t miss me, but it didn’t get me”he had noticed. He refuted the term survivor: “ That would mean we escaped what happened. But none of those who were there, living or dead, and even those who were not there, escaped. I am more of a survivor than a survivor. Aware of his luck. His responsibility too. ». He testified again, a few weeks ago, at the trial of Peter Cherif, tried for his role in the January 2015 attacks.
Reactions to the sudden death of this kind, gentle and humorous boy multiplied yesterday on social networks. Former President of the Republic François Hollande discusses “scars that many no longer see but which never heal”while the designer Coco posted a drawing representing Simon Fieschi. The editorial staff of Charlie Hebdo says “devastated” in a press release on At the trial for the 2015 attacks, he notably recounted the impacts that the Kalashnikov bullets had left on his body, lamenting that he could no longer give the middle finger. I promise Simon, we will continue to make them for you”.