Paris court opens trial into Athanor Freemasons accused of running hit squads
A Paris court begins a high-profile trial of 22 people linked to the Athanor Freemason lodge, accused of running a mafia-style hit-squad network that carried out murders, assaults and robberies. Among the defendants are members of France’s DGSE, police, a former DGSI officer, a security guard, and business executives. Prosecutors say the group escalated from revenge acts to homicide, including the killing of a racing driver, with the case sparked by a botched 2020 contract and extending to multiple charges over several years. The trial is expected to last at least three months, with some defendants in custody and others under judicial supervision.