Trial of Chilean accused of murdering Japanese ex

VESOUL, France--The appeal trial in France of a Chilean man found guilty of murdering his Japanese ex-girlfriend in 2016 was suspended until Thursday, after the accused appeared in court without a lawyer.

Last year, a court found Nicolas Zepeda guilty of murdering 21-year-old Narumi Kurosaki in Besançon, in eastern France in a trial that made national headlines in France, Chile and Japan.

Zepeda, who was sentenced to 28 years in jail, said he was innocent and appealed the verdict. Kurosaki’s body has not been found.

The appeal trial was initially due to start on Tuesday but was suspended as the accused no longer had a lawyer.

The court agreed to postpone the opening of the trial to Thursday, so a new lawyer could prepare for the hearings, the presiding judge François Arnaud said.

Randall Schwerdorffer, a lawyer for Kurosaki’s family, said that Zepeda had had a year to prepare for the appeal trial and that what he called “toxic” changes were taking their toll on Kurosaki’s family, who traveled to France for the hearings.

“Whether Mr Zepeda agrees or not, this appeal trial will take place ...” Schwerdorffer said, adding: “I’m looking forward for the trial to resume... so we can go to the bottom of this.”

The court quoted Zepeda’s lawyer as saying in a letter sent to the tribunal a few days ago that his client had made clear that he did not want him as his legal representative anymore.

However, the accused’s father, Humberto Zepeda, said he was unhappy with the proceedings.

“Do you think a (new) lawyer can in one day understand all the details of a case so complex as this?” he told reporters outside the tribunal, adding that this was “impossible” and his son was not receiving fair treatment.

He said they did not know heading into the trial that his lawyer would not be there, and added: “All we want is for the trial to take place in the best conditions possible and to recognize the innocence of our son.”