Two new suspects arrested over the Lyon killing of Deranque

Two men aged 22 and 26 have been arrested in the Lyon region in connection with the killing of Quentin Deranque.

This morning, police sources told AFP that investigators now believe all those who directly took part in the violence that led to Deranque’s death have been apprehended.

The 23-year-old, described as a right-wing activist, was fatally beaten up in Lyon while attempting to protect members of the feminist collective Némésis during a protest against a conference by hard-left MEP Rima Hassan.

A total of 11 people had previously been arrested on February 17 and 18, some suspected of helping the alleged perpetrators evade justice. Seven suspects have since been charged with voluntary homicide and criminal conspiracy, six of whom were remanded in custody.

Among those charged is a parliamentary assistant to Raphaël Arnault, a deputy from the left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI).

Several suspects were reportedly linked to Jeune Garde, a left-wing group founded in Lyon in 2018 by Arnault and dissolved by the interior ministry in 2025. Arnault himself was convicted in 2022 for aggravated assault.

Another Jeune Garde member arrested in connection with Deranque’s death had previously been charged over a violent anti-Semitic attack on the Paris metro in 2024.

During a meeting  in Montpellier, LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon denied any link between his party and the Deranque case, stating: “La France Insoumise has nothing to do with this story.”

The killing has drawn near-unanimous condemnation from across the French political spectrum at a time when tensions are already running high ahead of the 2026 municipal elections and the 2027 presidential race.