TWO men being questioned over the death of Jean Pormanove were arrested just eight months ago over accusations they abused the streamer.

Frenchman Jean – real name Raphael Graven – was found dead after 10 days of physical violence which was all filmed and broadcast live.

Disturbing footage showed his body sat inside his studio in Contes, near Nice, on Sunday evening as a police probe was quickly launched.

Pormanove, 46, had been taking part in dangerous online challenges alongside fellow content creators which is suspected to have led to his death.

Two of the men involved were Owen Cenazandotti, a Frenchman known as “Naruto”, and another man only known as “Safine”.

Naruto and Safine were seen throwing water in Pormanove’s face in an attempt to revive him after his death when horrified viewers of the livestream alerted them of his state.

The Sun can now reveal that both men were arrested in January over charges linked to content involving Pormanove.

A preliminary investigation by Nice prosecutors was looking into incitement to hatred, violence against vulnerable people and dissemination of images that undermine the integrity of individuals.

The two men were released without further action eight months ago.

Their lawyers have now been forced to again deny any wrongdoing on behalf of the pair after Pormanove’s passing.

Yassin Sadouni, the lawyer for Naruto said his client was completely innocent.

He claimed his client is the target of a “cyberbullying campaign”.

Mr Sadouni said today: “Several people, far from respecting the memory of the deceased and his grief, have chosen to fuel hatred and engage in online harassment against him.

“A complaint will be filed in the coming days with the Paris prosecutor’s office’s online hate crime unit so that the perpetrators can be identified and prosecuted.”

Detectives have remained at the Contes studio where the streamer was found with an investigating source saying “criminal charges” are being considered, following the opening of a judicial enquiry.

The source told The Sun: “There is particular concern that the death of the victim was being livestreamed, with a counter displaying 298 hours of live footage at the time of death.

“His last breath was recorded by the cameras, and is still being shown on social media.

“The footage was only cut off after water was thrown in his face to unsuccessfully try and revive him.

“The deceased’s online abusers will be interviewed at length.”

Before his death, Pormanove had completed 10 consecutive days of streams which all saw him be regularly attacked.

Stunts included being beaten up, deprived of sleep, and being tied up, and pelted with water and paint.

The marathon challenge was broadcast by platforms including Kick, the Australian competitor of the Amazon-owned, Twitch.

Thousands of viewers, including children, first started to get worried when Pormanove showed no sign of life as he lay slumped on a mattress.

A spokesman for Nice judicial police said an autopsy is due to be performed to see if any violence contributed to his death.

French digital technology minister Clara Chappaz has voiced her serious concerns over the content being produced.

She said: “The death of ‘Jean Pormanove’ and the violence he suffered are an absolute horror.

“Holding online platforms responsible for the dissemination of illegal content is not an option – it is the law.

“This type of failure can lead to the worst and has no place in France, Europe, or anywhere else.”

Ms Chappaz said Pormanove “had been humiliated and abused for months” as she confirmed Naruto and Safine as well as Kick representatives will now be interviewed.

Pormanove had more than a million followers across social media, and was particularly popular on Kick.

A spokesperson for Kick said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jean Pormanove and extend our condolences to his family, friends, and community.

“We are urgently reviewing the circumstances and engaging with relevant stakeholders to investigate the situation.

“Kick’s community guidelines are designed to protect creators, and we remain committed to upholding these standards across our platform.”