At the appeal trial for the 2018 attacks in Trèbes and Carcassonne, the legal focus is on whether individuals who "gravitated around" the attacker, Radouane Lakdim, could be held responsible for his actions. The trial, which started on September 14, involves three defendants who were previously either acquitted or given light sentences in the initial trial. The key legal issue revolves around the charge of "criminal terrorist association of wrongdoers," which differs from the more commonly known charge of complicity. This charge is being explained by lawyer Franck Alberti, who represents several victims of the attacks, and it concerns whether individuals could be held accountable for supporting terrorism through non-material means, such as knowledge or ideological alignment. The attacks took place on March 23, 2018, when Lakdim opened fire in the city of Carcassonne, injuring two people and killing one before stealing a vehicle and driving through the city. He then moved to the Super U supermarket in Trèbes, where he killed an employee and a customer, took a cashier hostage, and was eventually killed during a special forces operation led by Lieutenant Colonel Arnaud Beltrame. In total, four people died and fifteen were injured in the attacks. In the first trial, seven individuals close to Lakdim were charged with "criminal terrorist association of wrongdoers." However, most were acquitted. Only Marine Pequignot, Lakdim’s former girlfriend, was found guilty and sentenced to five years, with two of those years suspended. Samir Manaa, a friend of Lakdim, received a three-year sentence for a minor offense, not for the association charge. Both had already served their sentences and will appear free at the appeal trial. A third defendant, Baghdad Haddaoui, who remained silent during the initial trial, is being retried after appealing his conviction. The appeal trial aims to clarify the exact roles of those close to Lakdim before the attacks. Victims and legal representatives are focusing on whether those individuals supported Lakdim through knowledge, adherence to his ideology, or other non-material acts. The trial seeks to determine the extent of their culpability in the attacks. The court is expected to deliver its verdict on October 9.