A 22-year-old French campaigner has lost a second brother to suspected gang violence in Marseille, highlighting ongoing drug-related crime in the city. Amine Kessaci, who founded an association to support victims of drug violence, said his 20-year-old brother Mehdi was killed in a targeted shooting while parking his car in the city centre.
“A motorbike drew up beside the car of the victim, who had just parked. The backseat passenger on the motorbike shot the victim several times,” Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone said on Friday. He added that Mehdi Kessaci had no criminal record.
The activist’s elder brother, Brahim, was murdered in 2020. His body was found inside a burned-out car, a method of killing sometimes referred to locally as a “barbecue,” which has been associated with gang executions in Marseille. Authorities have suggested that Mehdi’s killing may have been intended as a warning to Amine Kessaci. The investigation into the shooting is still in its early stages.
Amine Kessaci had been under police protection since last month after publishing a book documenting the stories of victims of drug trafficking in Marseille. In interviews last year, he said that Brahim was the only member of his family involved in the drug trade.
Kessaci grew up in Marseille’s northern neighbourhoods and established a non-governmental organisation called Conscience in 2020, which provides support to families affected by violent crime. The NGO works to raise awareness of the human cost of drug trafficking and to assist victims’ relatives.
Drug-related violence continues to pose a serious threat in Marseille. According to official figures, at least 14 people have been killed in drug-related incidents across the region so far this year. Shootings and targeted attacks have become increasingly common in the city, which has a long history of organised crime linked to the drug trade.
The killing of Mehdi Kessaci has drawn renewed attention to the risks faced by activists and the families of victims in Marseille. Police have urged anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.
The double tragedy for the Kessaci family underscores the ongoing challenge authorities face in tackling gang violence in the city. Campaigners and local residents have expressed concern that targeted killings are becoming more frequent, increasing fear among communities already affected by drug-related crime.
As investigators continue to probe Mehdi’s death, Amine Kessaci remains under police protection while carrying on his work advocating for victims and their families, despite personal loss and threats to his own safety.
