Adnane Nassih case: police officer who mutilated him ordered to stand trial before a criminal court

Five years after the events, the justice system has aligned with the findings of the INDEX and Libération investigation and has definitively rejected the self-defense claim.

On January 23, 2025, a French investigating judge issued a ruling that concludes the inquiry into the case. The judge ordered that Yann T., the Anti-Crime Brigade (BAC) officer responsible for mutilating Adnane Nassih, be tried before a criminal court for “intentional violence resulting in permanent disability” — a crime punishable by up to fifteen years in prison.

In 2021, INDEX, in partnership with French newspaper Libération, published an investigation into the circumstances of Adnane Nassih’s injury. This investigation was submitted as evidence in the judicial case.

On February 22, 2020, Adnane Nassih, then 19 years old, lost one eye after he was hit by a launcher-fired rubber bullet (LBD) fired by officer Yann T.

Through analysis of surveillance footage and a 3D reconstruction of the incident, our investigation showed that Adnane Nassih posed no threat to officer Yann T. when the latter fired the shot. This contradicted the officer’s claim that he had used his LBD in response to a gesture by Adnane Nassih that he had interpreted as preparing to throw a projectile in his direction.

The court has now confirmed the conclusions of INDEX and Libération: the self-defense argument put forward by the officer has been definitively dismissed.

The trial date for officer Yann T. has not yet been set.