In Paris, a trial has begun against 22 defendants. According to the prosecution, among them are former police officers, military personnel, and businessmen who, according to investigators, organized violent actions—from intimidation to murder—acting through a front Masonic lodge, reports Euronews.
The "Athanor" Case: Defendants and Scope
An important trial named "Athanor," after the Masonic lodge whose members are suspected by investigators of being the masterminds behind a series of dangerous operations, has begun in Paris. Over the course of three and a half months, the jury will consider the case of 22 defendants charged with various crimes, including murder.
Of the 13 defendants, 4 military personnel, 3 police officers, including a retired intelligence officer, as well as a security guard and two businessmen face life imprisonment. They are accused of committing numerous crimes, including the murder of a race car driver and attempts on a business coach and a union activist from the "Yellow Vests" movement.
The investigation began with an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Marie-Hélène Dini on July 24, 2020. Two military personnel arrested near her home claimed they were misled and believed they were receiving orders to eliminate a "Mossad" agent on behalf of the French government.
Marie-Hélène Dini, who survived two assassination attempts, shared her experiences:
“I have been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder for six years. This condition periodically returns. I faced cancer and then was pushed out of my profession. It’s very hard to cope with this.”
Structure of the Criminal Network: Executors, Clients, and Intermediaries
Although Dini had no connection to intelligence, she had a rival in her professional circle—Jean-Luc Bagur, a weapons collector and "Worshipful Master" of the Masonic lodge "Athanor," located in Puteaux, the Hauts-de-Seine department near Paris, which was later dissolved.
The investigation established that for "70,000 euros excluding taxes," Bagur, now 69 years old, commissioned the elimination of his competitor to another lodge member—Frédéric Vallo.
This 53-year-old businessman is accused of acting as an intermediary between the client and the organizers of numerous crimes carried out by the third member of "Athanor," Daniel Bolle, a retired officer of the Central Directorate of Internal Intelligence (DCRI).
Bolle, now 72 years old, worked in economic intelligence after retirement and led a double life until his arrest, sharing it between two of his partners for 20 years.
Within "Athanor," he became the one who transmitted instructions for various "dirty operations," including murders, which he later referred to as a "mistake" in conversations with investigators.
The "missions" that Frédéric Vallo most frequently assigned to Daniel Bolle became increasingly serious: an attack and theft of a computer under the pretext of delivering pizza, arson of a car, throwing dead rats into a garden, attacking an elected official, and more.
Structure of the Criminal Group
In November 2018, the murder of race car driver Laurent Pasquali occurred, which became the first assassination assignment carried out by Sébastien Leroux, who also faces life imprisonment.
The security guard, who loves spy stories, admitted during interrogation that he was responsible for most of the attacks, thefts, murders, and assassination attempts. He claims he was manipulated by Daniel Bolle, who promised him a job as an informant in intelligence.
Another deadly project carried out by Vallo, Bolle, and Leroux was the assassination attempt on union activist and "Yellow Vest" Hassan Touzani, who was considered an obstacle to his employers. This case has also been forwarded to the court.
However, Daniel Bolle may find it difficult to answer the court's questions: his suicide attempt during detention has left him disabled, according to his lawyer Marc Pantaloni.
Nature of the Court Proceedings
The trial is taking place in Paris and is expected to last at least three months. It is already being called "a case worthy of a spy thriller," as the combination of a Masonic lodge, former intelligence agents, business disputes, and contract killings makes it unique for modern France.
The outcome of the "Athanor" case is expected to demonstrate how deeply such networks could penetrate closed French institutions.
The record "The trial of the 'Athanor' case—a network of killers within a Masonic lodge—has begun in Paris" first appeared on K-News.
