French court jails two over Federico Martín Aramburú's murder

A French court on Friday convicted two far-right activists over the 2022 murder of former Argentine rugby international Federico Martín Aramburú, jailing them for 26 and 19 years over gunning him down after a dispute at a Paris brasserie.

Aramburú was killed aged 42 after a successful career which saw him play 22 times for Argentina and become a firm favourite in France's Basque Country following a stint with local southwestern side Biarritz where he later lived.

Aramburú was with his friend and former teammate Shaun Hegarty at the brasserie in the early hours of March 19, 2022 when they argued with Loïk Le Priol and Romain Bouvier.

The court concluded that neither had premeditated Aramburú's killing, but that they did intend to kill the unarmed rugby player when they ran after him after both left the bar.

It sentenced Le Priol, a 32-year-old ex-soldier, to 26 years in jail for murder after he fired the two shots that took his life.

Le Priol's "narcissistic rage" fuelled the murder, the court said in its decision, noting he presented "psychopathic disorders" and a high risk of committing another crime.

It handed Bouvier, 35, 19 years behind bars for attempted murder over firing the initial shot at the rugby player, wounding him before fleeing the scene as Le Priol ran up close behind to fire more rounds.

'Christian, just like you'

The two men, who had fired 10 rounds – emptying their entire magazines, maintained during the trial that they had been defending themselves against Aramburú and Hegarty.

But on Friday, Le Priol asked forgiveness from the victim's family.

"I am a Christian, just like you," Le Priol said in his final words to Aramburú's family.

"The pope is in Paris today," he added, referring to Pope Leo XIV's visit to France. "I don't know if it's a sign, but I hope that one day they will find the strength to forgive me." 

The requested sentence of 27 years was "staggering," he added.

"It's the age I was at the time of the incident," he reflected, ashen-faced, while adding that during the three weeks of proceedings he had "come to understand a lot" about himself.

Bouvier said he would "never have the words" to address the suffering of Aramburú's family," as he faced them and supporters including prominent sports figures, such as rugby player Thomas Lievremont and former tennis star and now French Open director Amelie Mauresmo.

Both defendants were former members of the now-dissolved far-right movement GUD.

The hearings painted a picture of a pair steeped in fascist ideology, enamoured with Nazi symbols, and fascinated by weapons and violence.

'Justice for Fede'

While acknowledging they had committed violence with weapons, the defence cited childhood trauma in Bouvier's case and post-traumatic stress disorder for Le Priol.

Hegarty in his testimony earlier this month angrily accused the pair of seeking to "evade responsibility" for their actions and said they should stay "in prison for as long as possible." 

Aramburú's widow María asked the court for a verdict that would allow their three children "to build their lives as adults."

The trial has prompted calls for justice in Aramburú's native Argentina, with members of the Pumas wearing black T-shirts bearing the words "Justice for Fede" ahead of a match this month.