Eight people accused of terror charges in relation to the beheading of a teacher are due to stand trial on Monday.
Teacher Samuel Paty was killed outside his school near Paris on Oct. 16, 2020 by an Islamic extremist after he showed caricatures of Islam’s prophet to his middle school students as part of a lesson on freedom of expression.
Paty was killed by an 18-year-old Russian of Chechen origin named Abdoullakh Anzorov, who was subsequently shot dead by police. The shocking killing of Paty left a lasting impact on France, with several schools now bearing his name in tribute.
Francois Mori/AP
Who Is Now on Trial for the Beheading of the Teacher?
The individuals on trial at the Special Assize Court of Paris on Monday, include friends of the assailant, who are accused of helping procure weapons for the attack. Others face charges in relation to allegedly spreading false information online about Paty and his class.
The attack on Samuel Paty unfolded amid protests across several Muslim-majority countries and online calls for violence across France, in particular directed against the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
Just weeks before Paty’s death, Charlie Hebdo had republished caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad to mark the start of the trial for the deadly 2015 attacks on its newsroom by Islamic extremists.
The cartoon images were deeply offensive to many Muslims, who viewed them as sacrilegious.
Who Are the Accused?
The trial is set to focus heavily on Brahim Chnina, the Muslim father of a 13-year-old girl who alleged that she was excluded from Paty’s class after he displayed caricatures on Oct. 5, 2020.
Chnina sent a series of messages to contacts condemning Paty and referred to him as “this sick man” who needed to be dismissed. He also shared the address of the school in Conflans Saint-Honorine where Paty worked. In reality, Chnina’s daughter had not attended the lesson in question and had lied to her father.
Prosecutors allege that Chnina had nine telephone contacts with Anzorov.
Paty had been conducting a Moral and Civic Education lesson mandated by the National Education Ministry, focused on freedom of expression. He presented the caricatures within this context, allowing students who preferred not to view them the option to temporarily step outside the classroom.
An online campaign against Paty escalated rapidly, and just 11 days after the lesson, Anzorov attacked the teacher with a knife as he walked home, with images of the teacher’s decapitated head later posted on social media.
Police then fatally shot Anzorov when he advanced toward them while armed.
Anzorov, who had wanted to go to Syria to fight with Islamic extremists there, discovered Paty’s name on jihadist social media channels, investigators.
What Are the Charges Faced by the Accused?
Chnina, 52, now faces charges of alleged association with a terrorist enterprise, he stands accused of targeting the 47-year-old teacher through the spread of false information.
Last year, Chnina’s daughter was tried in juvenile court and received an 18-month suspended sentence. Four other students from Paty’s school were also found guilty of involvement and given suspended sentences. A fifth student, who identified Paty to Anzorov in exchange for money, was sentenced to six months with an electronic monitoring bracelet.
Abdelhakim Sefrioui, 65, a prominent figure in the trial, previously identified himself as a spokesperson for the Imams of France, despite having been dismissed from that position.
He is reported to have recorded a video outside the school alongside the student’s father, repeatedly labeling the teacher a “thug” and attempting to exert pressure on the school administration through social media channels.
Sefrioui established the pro-Hamas Cheikh Yassine Collective in 2004, which was disbanded shortly after Samuel Paty’s murder. Sefrioui has a history of criticizing and threatening Muslims who promote amicable relations with Jews, including the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris.
Both Sefrioui and Brahim Chnina face potential 30-year prison sentences if convicted.
Chnina has denied any incitement to “kill” in his communications, asserting he did not intend to incite hatred or violence, as per judicial documents. Sefrioui’s legal team plans to seek his acquittal, arguing that the video he recorded outside the school was not viewed by the assailant.
Two of Anzorov’s friends, Naim Boudaoud, 22, and Azim Epsirkhanov, 23, face life imprisonment if convicted on charges of complicity in murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise.
They pair are accussed of helping Anzorov buy a knife and a pellet gun and Boudaoud is also accused of driving Anzorov to Paty’s school.
They handed themselves in at the police station, and deny being aware of the attacker’s intentions.
The other four individuals are charged with criminal terrorist conspiracy for communicating with the killer on pro-jihad Snapchat groups. They all deny being aware of the intent to kill Samuel Paty.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press