The Court of Appeal says it is “incompetent” and sends the case to an investigating judge.

The Barjols Case: A Legal Controversy Unfolding

On Tuesday, **May 20**, the **Paris Court of Appeal** made a surprising ruling in the high-profile **Barjols case**, involving an ultra-right group suspected of plotting violent actions targeting state authorities, including **President Emmanuel Macron**. The court declared itself **”incompetent,”** a move that refers the matter to an investigating judge.

The president of the court indicated that since the alleged acts possess a criminal nature, the defendants must be judged by an **assize court**, solidifying the decision’s rarity at this point in the legal process. This unexpected verdict garnered astonishment, particularly from the lawyers defending the nine accused, who had anticipated a different outcome regarding their clients’ fate.

A Surprising Turn of Events

At the beginning of the appeal trial in **January**, one of the defense attorneys, **Olivia Ronen**, urged the court to declare itself incompetent, anticipating the eventual ruling that was handed down. The president expressed some annoyance, instructing the public prosecutor to be more **meticulous** in the future.

A Legal Puzzle Ahead

In the courtroom, only two out of the nine defendants were present, visibly disoriented by the court’s surprising decision. The case’s referral to an investigating judge is likely to encompass all defendants from the initial charges against **13 individuals**, several of whom have already been fully released. One lawyer described the situation as entering a **”legal puzzle,”** signifying the complexities that lie ahead in this unfolding case.

The **Barjols affair** arose in the fall of **2018**, when intelligence services intercepted plans for an attack against the President of France during a visit to **Moselle**. Investigations revealed that members of the Barjols group had purportedly plotted to assassinate the head of state, and proposed violence against **mosques** or **faithful**, as well as an attempted military coup to overthrow the government.