Trial of the legionnaire pimps of Nîmes: convicted, the former soldiers will not be sent back to Russia

Me Florian Médico, satisfied with the Marseille decision. Midi Libre – FRANCOIS BARRERE

The public prosecutor had requested sentences of up to eight years in prison and a ban from the national territory of 10 years, against these soldiers or former soldiers who had led, sometimes from the barracks of the 2nd REI,   a national network of prostitutes from Ukraine.

"Sending this man back to Russia would have been suicidal, when he served the interests of France for many years in particularly harsh conditions ." Montpellier lawyer Florian Médico welcomed this Friday, March 15, the decision of the Marseille criminal court, which condemned five legionnaires or former legionnaires of the 2nd REI of Nîmes prosecuted for aggravated pimping with substantial prison sentences, but without pronouncing the ban on national territory required by the prosecution.

Dozens of young Ukrainian women

These soldiers, some of whom were still in uniform, were arrested in 2021, following a long investigation establishing that they had developed a very well-established system to bring in dozens of young women from Ukraine, who voluntarily prostituted themselves in rented apartments throughout France, during stays of a few weeks, before returning home.

The money from the passes was shared half between the prostitutes and the legionnaires, who managed the rentals, advertisements and calls from clients, before recovering between 30% and 50% of the winnings . The case was investigated at the Jirs de Marseille, given the sensitive nature of their profile and the very advanced organization of these networks. The public prosecutor had requested sentences ranging from five years to eight years in prison for the three most involved, which were reduced to five years, with a committal warrant, with the other three receiving two to three and a half years in prison.

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