The trial of eight individuals in Paris on terrorism charges commenced on Monday, relating to the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty. He was murdered by an Islamic extremist after showing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad to his middle school students during a lesson on freedom of expression.
Paty's tragic death profoundly affected France, leading to several schools being named in his honor. He was killed outside his school near Paris on October 16, 2020, by an 18-year-old man of Chechen descent, who was subsequently shot and killed by police.
The defendants include friends of the assailant, Abdoullakh Anzorov, who allegedly assisted in procuring weapons for the attack, as well as individuals accused of disseminating false information online about Paty and his class.
The trial began in the presence of Paty’s family members, including his two sisters, under tight security, with numerous police officers conducting checks inside and outside the courtroom.
Five of the accused, currently imprisoned, were seated in a large glass enclosure, while three others, under judicial supervision, sat outside this enclosure on the defendants’ benches.
The attack occurred against a backdrop of protests in several Muslim countries and online calls for violence against France and the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. This newspaper had republished its caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad weeks before Paty’s death to mark the commencement of the trial regarding the deadly 2015 attacks on its office by Islamic extremists.
These cartoon images caused deep offense to many Muslims, who viewed them as blasphemous. However, the repercussions of Paty’s murder strengthened the French state's commitment to freedom of expression and its steadfast dedication to secularism in public life.
Francis Szpiner, the lawyer representing Paty’s nine-year-old son, expressed the expectation that the justice system would adequately address the crime.“This event is unprecedented in the republic's history. It’s the first time a teacher has been assassinated for being a teacher,” he stated.
Thibault de Montbrial, representing Paty’s sister, Mickaëlle Paty, remarked that the trial would help raise awareness in French society about the clear connection between fundamentalist Islam and the violence leading to such horrific acts.
One focal point of the trial is Brahim Chnina, the Muslim father of a teenager who was 13 at the time. He claimed that his daughter had been excluded from Paty’s class when the caricatures were shown on October 5, 2020. Chnina, 52, sent a series of messages to his contacts denouncing Paty and demanding his dismissal, providing the address of the school in Conflans Saint-Honorine.
However, Chnina’s daughter had lied to him and had never attended the lesson. Paty was conducting a lesson mandated by the National Education Ministry on freedom of expression, discussing the caricatures and offering students the option to leave the classroom if they wished not to view them.
An online campaign against Paty escalated, and 11 days after the lesson, Anzorov attacked Paty with a knife as he walked home, displaying the teacher’s head on social media. Police later shot Anzorov as he advanced toward them armed.
Chnina faces trial for allegedly associating with a terrorist organization by targeting the 47-year-old teacher through misinformation. His daughter was tried last year in a juvenile court and received an 18-month suspended sentence. Four other students at Paty’s school were convicted of involvement and received suspended sentences; a fifth, who identified Paty to Anzorov for money, received a six-month sentence with an electronic bracelet.
Abdelhakim Sefrioui, 65, is another prominent figure in the trial for the adult suspects. He claimed to be a spokesperson for Imams of France, although he had been dismissed from that position. He filmed a video in front of the school alongside Chnina, referring to Paty as a “thug” multiple times and attempting to exert pressure on the school administration via social media.
Sefrioui founded the pro-Hamas Cheikh Yassine Collective in 2004, which was dissolved shortly after Paty’s murder. He has long criticized and threatened Muslims who promote friendship with Jews, including the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris.
Both Sefrioui and Chnina face up to 30 years in prison if convicted. Chnina has denied inciting “kill” in his messages and videos, asserting that he did not intend to incite hatred or violence, according to judicial documents.
Sefrioui’s lawyer, Ouadie Elhamamouchi, stated he would work to prove his client’s innocence, asserting that the video filmed by Sefrioui in front of the school was not viewed by the attacker. “In this case, he is the only one who had no connection to the terrorist,” Elhamamouchi said.
Others are facing charges of complicity. Anzorov, who had intended to travel to Syria to fight alongside Islamic extremists, discovered Paty’s name on jihadist social media channels. He lived 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Paty’s school and had no personal acquaintance with the teacher.
Two of Anzorov’s friends face life imprisonment if convicted on charges of complicity in murder related to a terrorist enterprise. Naim Boudaoud, 22, and Azim Epsirkhanov, 23, are accused of aiding Anzorov in purchasing a knife and a pellet gun. Boudaoud also drove Anzorov to Paty’s school. They surrendered to police and deny having any knowledge of the attacker’s intentions.
The remaining four individuals are charged with criminal conspiracy for communicating with Anzorov on pro-jihad Snapchat groups. All have denied awareness of the intent to kill Samuel Paty.
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