French Judge Resigns in Protest of Sarah Halimi Verdict

A French judge resigned from his position on April 23 in protest of the verdict involving Sarah Halimi’s suspected killer.

Halimi was killed in April 2017 after being beaten and thrown out of her window. Her suspected killer, Kobili Traore, allegedly shouted, “Allahu Akbar!” while attacking her and “I have killed the sheitan! [demon]” after throwing her out the window. On April 14, the French Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s verdict that Traore was unfit to stand trial because he was high on marijuana at the time of Halimi’s killing.

Jack Broda, who presides over the Tribunal Commerce of Nancy in Eastern France, announced he was resigning in protest of the verdict, saying that “at first I couldn’t believe” the court’s verdict. “My resignation was accepted and regretted.”

Jewish groups praised Broda’s act of protest. Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted that Broda’s resignation was “an inspiring show of solidarity.” “We must continue this fight and demand #JusticeForSarahHalimi.”

In an inspiring show of solidarity, a Jewish judge in France has resigned in outrage over the injustice done to Sarah Halimi.
We must continue this fight and demand #JusticeForSarahHalimi. https://t.co/oLnQc8RBBj

— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) April 28, 2021

The Simon Wiesenthal Center similarly tweeted, “G-d bless this French judge who has the courage to walk away from a corrupted justice system that disrespects and puts French Jews in mortal danger #JusticeForSarahHalimi.”

G-d bless this French judge who has the courage to walk away from a corrupted justice system that disrespects and puts French Jews in mortal danger #JusticeForSarahHalimi https://t.co/AohINY6uEs

— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) April 27, 2021

End Jew Hatred also tweeted, “Will any others follow? Will anyone else demand justice?”

“I decided to resign over the ruling, which at first I couldn’t believe” Jack Broda

Will any others follow? Will anyone else demand justice?#EndJewHatred https://t.co/GgdH5e2JqD

— End Jew Hatred (@EndJewHatred) April 28, 2021

The verdict on Halimi’s suspected killer sparked worldwide protests, including at the Los Angeles French Consulate on April 25. Among those who spoke at the protest included Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action Agenda at the Simon Wiesenthal Center Rabbi Abraham Cooper, StandWithUs CEO and Co-Founder Roz Rothstein and Journal Editor-In-Chief David Suissa.