Feb 21 β€’ 23:51 UTC πŸ‡ΆπŸ‡¦ Qatar Al Jazeera

Demonstration in Paris demands justice for Mauritanian who died while in police custody

Over a thousand people protested in Paris demanding justice for Hassane Diara, a Mauritanian who died while in police custody last month.

On Saturday, more than a thousand people gathered in Paris to demand 'justice and truth' in the case of Hassane Diara, a Mauritanian who died over a month ago while being held by police. The march was attended by approximately 1,200 individuals, according to police estimates, who carried a large banner reading, 'Justice and truth for Hassane Diara, killed by the police.' Participants called for the circumstances of his death to be revealed and for those responsible to be held accountable.

During the demonstration, Moussa Diara, a cousin of the victim, expressed the family's frustration, stating, 'We organized this demonstration to receive an explanation from the police who killed him in cold blood and to achieve justice.' Hassane Diara, 35, reportedly died on the night of January 15-16 after being detained by police in front of a building used to provide housing for workers. His family alleges he had left home on January 14 to take out the trash and never returned.

French police, however, claimed that Diara died from a heart attack while in custody, according to an official statement. The differing narratives between the family and the police have sparked outrage in the community, leading to this public demonstration and raising questions about police conduct and accountability in France, particularly concerning the treatment of individuals in custody, including people from minority backgrounds.

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