French police officers on trial over beating of black man they accused of not wearing Covid mask

Assault on Michel Zecler in 2020 is rare case of police brutality reaching court, at time of heightened tensions

Three French police officers have gone on trial over the beating of a black music producer who they say was not wearing a face mask during the Covid pandemic, in a rare case of police brutality reaching court.

The assault on Michel Zecler, now 47, triggered outrage in France over police violence, which victims and researchers say is systemic but authorities and law enforcement unions claim is limited to isolated cases.

“I expect this trial to hold the police officers accountable,” Zecler told Agence France-Presse in a recent interview.