Two far-right activists on trial in Paris over 2022 shooting death of Argentine rugby star Aramburu

A trial lasting several weeks began Monday in Paris for two far-right activists accused of killing former Argentina international rugby player Federico Martin Aramburu in March 2022. Aramburu, 42, had already retired from playing and was living in the southwestern French town of Biarritz at the time.

The killing occurred in the early hours of March 19, 2022, when Aramburu and fellow rugby player Shaun Hegarty were at a Paris brasserie and got into an argument with Loik Le Priol and Romain Bouvier. According to the investigation, tensions rose after Hegarti criticised Le Priol for snapping rudely at another customer, prompting Le Priol to tap Hegarty on the head. As the rugby players left, Aramburu grabbed Le Priol by the hood and slammed him to the ground, sparking a fight in which Le Priol suffered several broken teeth.

As the rugby players fled by car, Bouvier caught up with them in a vehicle belonging to Le Priol's then girlfriend, fired at Aramburu and escaped. Le Priol then arrived on foot and fired again, killing the Argentine. Aramburu died of his wounds.

Le Priol, 32, a former commando and member of the now-dissolved far-right group GUD, is suspected of firing the fatal shots and is charged with murder. Bouvier, 35, is charged with attempted murder. Both face up to life in prison if convicted. Le Priol was arrested several days after the killing at the Hungary-Ukraine border, where he told police he was heading to Ukraine to fight following Russia's full-scale invasion.

At the time of the killing, both defendants were already under investigation over the 2015 beating of a former GUD official, for which a court sentenced them in 2022 to two and three years in prison respectively.

Rugby career

Aramburu played club rugby in France for Perpignan, Biarritz and Dax, as well as for Scotland's Glasgow Warriors. He won 22 caps for Argentina between 2004 and 2009.