Amine Kessaci, 23, lives under constant protection and sleeps in shifting locations to escape contract killers from France's biggest drug cartel. Five men linked to the Marseille-based organized crime group known as DZ Mafia are going on trial for the murder of Kessaci's elder brother, Brahim.
The three-week hearing aims to expose the reality of cartel bosses who can allegedly order killings from prison. The drug trade of cannabis and cocaine has centered on French consumption over the past two decades, recruiting local children as child soldiers and filling economic voids in the deindustrialized city.
Kessaci has written a book, become a Green party activist, and sought to influence government policy by explaining how poor teenagers become easy prey in northern tower blocks with high youth unemployment and low school qualifications.
"Violence is all they understand, so as soon as they have someone facing them who speaks out, who puts the reality into words, who organises solidarity with others, they see a competitor for their influence on the ground,"Kessaci said, while street marches and public outrage showed opposition to drug gangs attempting to threaten anyone who spoke out.