French police investigating the beating of a far-right militant who died of brain injuries have arrested 11 people, prosecutors said, in a case adding fuel to long-standing divides in French politics ahead of presidential elections in 2027. Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old student described as a fervent nationalist, died in hospital on Saturday. A post-mortem examination found that Mr Deranque suffered a fractured skull and fatal brain injuries, according to Lyon’s prosecutor Thierry Dran. Ms Hassan, a French-Palestinian who was born in a Syrian refugee camp, is a European Parliament legislator for the far-left France Unbowed party. Mr Deranque’s death triggered a storm of recriminations, mostly targeting France Unbowed.

Source: Irish Examiner February 18, 2026 16:24 UTC