Puget-sur-Argens Attack: Main Suspect Indicted for Terror-Related Racist Murder

Five days after the murder of Hichem Miraoui in Puget-sur-Argens (Var), the main suspect, Christophe B., was indicted on Thursday, June 5, for murder linked to a terrorist enterprise and motivated by race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion, according to the French National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office (Pnat). He has also been remanded in custody.

The judicial investigation also includes charges of attempted murder with the same aggravating circumstances and terrorist conspiracy to commit one or more crimes.

Premeditated Act, Denied Motives

Christophe B., 53, a metalworker and recreational sport shooter, was previously unknown to police. In custody, he admitted to the shooting but denied any racist or terrorist motives—a claim contradicted by several elements uncovered in the investigation.

On the evening of May 31, he reportedly went armed to a neighboring party and fired five shots, killing Hichem Miraoui, a Tunisian national, and injuring another neighbor of Kurdish origin. He then fled by car, carrying multiple weapons: two semi-automatic handguns, two long guns, four loaded magazines, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition. Further weapons, including a carbine, a silenced pistol, and additional ammo, were later seized at his home.

Hateful Videos and Radicalized Rhetoric

According to the Draguignan prosecutor’s office, Christophe B. had posted racist and inflammatory videos on social media both before and after the attack. In the first video, recorded beforehand, he declared his intent to kill Arab individuals. In a second video, released after the crime, he claimed responsibility. Several other videos shared during the night of May 31 to June 1 included references to Jean-Marie Le Pen and violently anti-immigrant rhetoric.

His partner had warned authorities, saying he had long expressed grievances about the presence of foreigners in France. For years, Christophe B. had posted xenophobic content on Facebook. In a 2019 post, he wrote: “Take a look at how many cars were burned by our wonderful youth from immigration. Poor France.”

Anti-Terror Prosecutors Take Over

Initially handled by the Draguignan public prosecutor, the case was transferred to the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office (Pnat) due to the ideologically driven and potentially terrorist nature of the attack. The investigation is now continuing under the supervision of a counterterrorism examining magistrate.