Murder of police officer Eric Masson in Avignon: Ilyes Akoudad, 23, now definitively sentenced to 30 years in prison

Rassemblement de policiers en hommage a Eric Masson à Paris, en mai 2021. MAXPPP – Christophe Petit Tesson

Ni le jeune homme ni le parquet ne feront appel du verdict pronnoncé le 1er mars par la cour d'assises du Vaucluse, a appris France 3 ce mardi 12 mars. 

Ilias Akoudad will not appeal. Neither does the parquet. The 23-year-old young man is therefore definitively sentenced to 30 years in prison with a 20-year safety period. This is what France 3 learned this Tuesday March 12 from a lawyer for the civil party.

Ilias Akoudad was found guilty on Friday March 1 by the Vaucluse Assize Court of having killed brigadier Eric Masson on May 5, 2021 around 6 p.m. in the city center of Avignon. He had shot this 36-year-old father with two bullets fired at short distance into the thorax and abdomen. The court was convinced that the accused knew that he was opening fire on a police officer, which he denied until the end.

Two bullets in the body

On the day of the tragedy, Eric Masson was in civilian clothes and had undertaken with another police officer to control Ilyes Akoudad, barely 19 years old at the time, at a deal point located in the neighborhood of Dyers, near the Carthage snack bar. The murderer managed to escape, before being arrested four days later by the Montpellier PJ at the Remoulins tollbooth, while he was trying to flee to Spain.

A minor, Ilyes Akoudad had already been convicted six times for drug-related offenses. Éric Masson was the father of two children. A national tribute was paid to him on May 11, 2021 at the Avignon prefecture by Jean Castex, then Prime Minister.