It has been alleged that authorities were reluctant to inflame tensions which could have aided the campaign of then-presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, who ran on an anti-immigrant platform.
After Mr Traore’s arrest, he told investigators he had consumed large amounts of cannabis and had been possessed by “external” or “devilish” forces.
Psychiatrists said he had still been responsible for his actions, which were “not incompatible with an antisemitic dimension”. The charge has now been amended to “murder with antisemitism as an aggravating factor”.
Ms Halimi’s death sparked debate over antisemitism in working-class neighbourhoods, where Jews and Arab communities frequently live in close proximity.
During a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July, President Emmanuel Macron called for the “full facts of the case” to be made public.
Amid a rise in antisemitism in recent years, thousands of Jews have emigrated from France, which is home to the world’s third-largest Jewish community.
