The two Uber executives arrested in Paris in June have appeared in court and their trial has been delayed to February.
Uber France CEO Thibaud Simphal and Uber Europe GM Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty were arrested in late June for allegedly operating illegally and concealing documents. They face six different charges, including engaging in deceptive commercial practices and complicity in illegal activities, according to the BBC.
However, Uber’s legal team successfully convinced a judge to push back the trial to February so it could get broader access to the evidence seized during a raid on the company’s Paris office earlier this summer. The company’s attorneys also called into question the entire trial’s validity, and filed several motions for delays and to dismiss certain charges.
Although UberPOP, the ride-hailing company’s low-cost service in France, was ruled illegal in late 2014, the company said the ruling was unconstitutional and continued to operate by paying drivers’ fines.
The executives’ arrest happened just days after violent protests in the streets of Paris. Though it had long dismissed regulations against it, Uber shut down its UberPOP service following the protests.
Wednesday’s small victory in court comes during a difficult week for Uber. On Tuesday, police raided the company’s offices in Amsterdam. On Wednesday, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro signed a bill into law that renders the service illegal, while London city officials proposed a 27-page collection of rules to regulate the service.
