Nice Basilica Attack: A Final Verdict for Brahim Aouissaoui

An Exemplary Sentence

The Paris Special Assize Court sentenced Brahim Aouissaoui to life imprisonment with an irreducible security period on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. This sentence, the heaviest in the Penal Code, strictly followed the requisitions of the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (Pnat), which highlighted the accused’s persistent danger and complete lack of remorse.

Three Lives Lost in a Terrorist Act

Found guilty of the murders of Nadine Devillers (60), Vincent Loquès (54), and Simone Barreto Silva (44) at the Notre-Dame de l’Assomption Basilica in Nice on October 29, 2020, Brahim Aouissaoui claimed his act as revenge for Muslims killed by the “West.” The court highlighted the extreme violence of the events, marked by throat slittings and multiple stab wounds with a kitchen knife.

Alarming Behavior Even in Detention

The accused’s behavior in detention reinforced the severity of the verdict: threats, homemade weapon production, and repeated insults. These elements convinced the judges that Aouissaoui remained a constant danger. “He continues to instill fear from his defendant’s box; he will continue his jihad,” the prosecution had stated during the closing arguments.

Late and Incomplete Confessions

Despite belated confessions during the trial, the accused remained evasive about the exact circumstances of the attack, oscillating between acknowledging the facts and claiming amnesia. “Yes, I recognize the facts,” he admitted, while refusing to answer questions about his contacts or ideological journey.

Lifelong Suffering for the Victims’ Families

For the civil parties, this decision will not ease the pain of the victims’ loved ones. “They will live with this suffering for life, with no possibility of reduction,” said Me Régis Bergonzi. Me Samia Maktouf forcefully reminded the court that “it was not fate that killed these three victims, but his hand, his knife. It was a choice.”

Present for the verdict, the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, praised the justice system’s firmness in the face of this terrorist act that profoundly marked the city and the entire country.