France Trial for the murder of teacher Samuel Paty begins in Paris

Four years after the Islamist-motivated murder of teacher Samuel Paty in France, the trial of eight alleged supporters has begun in a Paris jury court.

On October 16, 2020, 47-year-old history teacher Paty was killed and beheaded by an 18-year-old in a Paris suburb. The police shot and killed the perpetrator, who had Russian-Chechen roots. The crime was classified as an Islamist-motivated act of terrorism and caused international outrage.

Before the crime, there had been incitement against the teacher on the internet because he had shown caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in class on the subject of freedom of expression. This incitement is said to have driven the attacker to commit his crime.

Seven men and one woman have been charged, including two friends of the perpetrator who, according to the indictment, were privy to his plans. Both are said to have accompanied him when he bought weapons and one is also said to have driven him to the scene of the crime. They are accused of aiding and abetting a terrorist murder. They face life imprisonment.

The other defendants also include the father of the schoolgirl who is said to have circulated the allegations against Paty, as well as a man who is said to have posted videos on social networks. These defendants are facing charges of forming a criminal terrorist organization. They face up to 30 years in prison. The trial will last until December 20.

SDA