Overview
- The chamber of instruction in Besançon ruled on Wednesday after roughly four hours of arguments that Péchier will remain in custody pending his appeal.
- Prosecutors and judges argued that freeing him could endanger witnesses, risk his absconding, trigger public-order disturbances, and expose him to self-harm.
- Péchier’s lawyers said detention hampers preparation for a sprawling case, noting the recent addition of high-profile attorney Emmanuelle Franck, and they had proposed judicial supervision or house arrest with an electronic tag.
- The defense announced it will file an appeal to the Cour de cassation against the detention decision.
- The retrial’s date and venue are still undecided, as the Besançon court seeks an exception to hold the case locally while the defense pushes for Paris or Lyon given fairness concerns and the presence of nearly 200 civil parties.