Kessaci warns of an attack on democracy following threats against the mayor of Alès

Alès – 22 July 2026: Marseille anti-drug activist and municipal politician Amine Kessaci has described the threats against the mayor of Alès, Christophe Rivenq, as an attack on the democratic order. Criminal groups apparently no longer hesitate to directly target elected representatives, Kessaci said. The case has reignited the debate in France about protecting local elected officials from violence linked to drug trafficking.

Christophe Rivenq, mayor of Alès in the Gard department, was the target of serious intimidation on 16 July. Threatening graffiti was discovered at his home; in addition, according to press reports, his wife found an envelope containing two cartridges in the mailbox. The perpetrators or senders attributed the acts to the so-called DZ Mafia. Whether this attribution is correct is the subject of the investigation and has not yet been conclusively confirmed.

On the night of 20 to 21 July, Rivenq was taken from his home by RAID officers on the order of the Interior Ministry, according to several media outlets. The measure underscores how serious the security authorities consider the situation. For the mayor and his family, the threats represented an immediate burden, as they explicitly targeted the municipal politician’s private environment.

Rivenq links the intimidation to his actions against drug trafficking in Alès. The city has long been combating the expansion of organized criminal structures. Investigators are therefore examining whether the threats were a reaction to municipal and state measures against drug-selling points and trafficking networks. Criminal investigations are ongoing.

Amine Kessaci is known for his work against drug-related crime in Marseille and is currently part of the municipal administration. His brother Mehdi Kessaci was murdered in November 2025 in Marseille. The investigation into this crime is still ongoing. Kessaci has now pointed out that attacks and intimidation against public figures must not be treated as isolated cases when criminal groups seek to exert political or social pressure in this way.

The Alès case highlights the particular vulnerability of municipal elected officials confronting organized crime. At the same time, the presumption of innocence remains in force: the mention of the DZ Mafia in the threats does not prove that this group was responsible. The results of the ongoing investigations will be decisive. French security authorities are under pressure to ensure the protection of those affected and to quickly clarify the circumstances of the crime.