The DZ Mafia trial entered a critical phase on April 12 in Aix-en-Provence, as prosecutors demanded life imprisonment for alleged leader Gabriel Ory and 18 years for co-defendant Amine Oualane over a 2019 double homicide near Marseille.
The two men stand accused of organizing the murders of Farid Tir and Mohamed Benjaghlouli, whose bodies were discovered by a hotel employee at a Formule 1 establishment near Marseille on August 30, 2019. Tir, 29, had a criminal background that led investigators to suspect a drug-related settling of scores, while Benjaghlouli is believed to have been killed simply for being present at the scene.
Prosecutors did not limit their demands to Ory and Oualane. Life imprisonment was also sought for alleged organizers Karim Harrat and Walid Bara — the latter still at large and subject to an arrest warrant. The alleged shooter, Zaineddine Ahamada, and his accomplice Adrien Faure, suspected of providing access to the hotel room and supplying the murder weapon, each face demands of 30 years’ imprisonment.
DZ Mafia Leadership on Trial Over Marseille Drug Violence
The prosecution, concluding a three-hour closing argument, urged the court to treat all defendants as ordinary citizens before the law. Despite five of the accused holding extensive criminal histories tied to drug-related murders and being held under high-security conditions, the prosecutor stressed that they remain “subject to the law like everyone else.”
The trial, which opened on March 23, was disrupted by multiple incidents during proceedings, causing several days of delays. Oualane, known by the alias “Mamine,” faces charges of criminal conspiracy, with prosecutors alleging he directed the fatal encounter between the victim and the hit squad from his prison cell. His defense counters that the case rests on no material evidence, disputing the interpretation of wiretap recordings and testimony — including that of influencer Maeva Ghennam — that implicated him. Oualane denies any involvement, attributing financial transfers cited by prosecutors to the theft of luxury watches rather than drug trafficking. For broader context on the criminal network at the centre of this case, see our coverage of DZ Mafia criminal network activity in France.
The verdict was expected overnight from Sunday to Monday. The outcome carries significant weight: though the trial targets key figures within the DZ Mafia’s alleged leadership structure, several of the same defendants are already awaiting separate verdicts for comparable crimes scheduled for later in the year, signalling that this case is one of several major legal confrontations facing the organisation.
Sami B. is the founder and editor of Algeria News Gate, an independent English-language platform covering Algeria’s political, economic, and business developments. Based in Europe, he reports on official announcements, economic trends, and international relations involving Algeria.