Prosecutors seek 27-year sentence for man accused of murdering former Pumas star Aramburú

Prosecutors in Paris are seeking sentences of 27 and 20 years for the two men accused of murdering former Argentina international Federico Martín Aramburú, with the court set to deliver its verdict imminently. Lead prosecutor Philippe Courroye is pursuing convictions against Loïk Le Priol and Romain Bouvier on charges of premeditated murder.

Aramburú was shot and killed in the French capital in the early hours of 19 March 2022 following a night out. Witnesses told investigators that a car pulled up alongside the former player and two passengers stepped out and fired multiple shots, killing him at the scene. He was accompanied at the time by Shaun Hegarty.

French prosecutors argue the killing was premeditated and rooted in an earlier confrontation that same evening, in which Aramburú and his companions intervened to stop what witnesses described as a racist attack on a homeless man by a group that included Le Priol. Prosecutors contend that incident prompted Le Priol and Bouvier to pursue and kill the former rugby player.

Both suspects were members of French far-right organisations at the time, primarily the Groupe Union Défense, a group known to French authorities for acts of extreme violence, racism and xenophobia. French police, working with Europol, identified and arrested the pair shortly after the killing. Two further individuals — Lyson Rochemir and Antony Sorrentino — are also accused of helping the suspects conceal themselves and flee.

The defence has rejected the premeditation charge, arguing that the defendants acted in self-defence and did not fire with intent to kill. Under French law, the maximum sentence for homicide is 30 years.

Aramburú, 42 at the time of his death, was a celebrated figure in Argentine club rugby with Buenos Aires side CASI before building a career in France. He helped Biarritz Olympique win the Top 14 on two occasions and also had a season with Glasgow Warriors in 2010-11. He earned 22 caps for Los Pumas and represented Argentina at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, where the team claimed a bronze medal.