The judgment in the trial for the assassination of Professor Samuel Paty, in October 2020, continues in Paris. The prosecution on Monday, December 16, requested sentences of up to 16 years of criminal imprisonment against the eight people tried in Paris for their involvement in the tragedy, to varying degrees.
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The highest penalty was requested against by Russian of Chechen origin Azim Epsirkhanov23 years old, for whom the prosecution asked to exclude complicity in terrorist assassination and to retain terrorist criminal association. This sentence of 16 years of imprisonment must be accompanied by a two-thirds security period, requested the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office.
But the latter on the other hand asked the court to set aside the obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) due to the situation in Russia. This sentence is mandatory for foreigners convicted in terrorism cases.
Attorney General Marine Valentin requested a sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment, with a two-thirds security period, against Naïm Boudaoud. The 22-year-old is also on trial for complicity in murder, an offense that the prosecution wants to see reclassified for him as a terrorist criminal association.
MM. Epsirkhanov and Boudaoud « were fully aware of jihadist beliefs » of the assassin Abdoullakh Anzorov « and provided him with the material conditions to implement them “, had previously underlined the magistrate.
The two young people never stopped proclaiming their innocence. They are accused of having helped Abdoullakh Anzorov to obtain weapons and, concerning Boudaoud, for having led him on October 16, 2020 near the college where Samuel Paty taught history and geography.
Also readFrance: who are the eight accused in the trial for the assassination of Samuel Paty?
Accused of having “ lit thousands of digital fuses »
The prosecution requested 12 years of criminal imprisonment, with a two-thirds security period, against the Islamist preacher Abdelhakim Sefrioui65 years old. As well as 10 years of criminal imprisonment, two thirds of which are security, against the Moroccan Brahim Chnina, 52 years old. The magistrates also requested an additional sentence of exclusion from French territory (ITF) against Mr. Chnina, of Moroccan origin.
The two men, prosecuted for terrorist criminal conspiracy, are at the origin of the hate campaign on social networks against Samuel Paty, beheaded as he left his college by Abdoullakh Anzorov, a young 18-year-old radical Chechen Islamist killed shortly after. later by the police. “ Nobody says that (Messrs. Sefrioui and Chnina) wished the death of Samuel Paty. But, by lighting thousands of digital fuses, they knew that one of them would lead to jihadist violence against the blasphemous professor », argued Nicolas Braconnay, the other general advocate.
Brahim Chnina is the father of the schoolgirl who lied by falsely accusing Samuel Paty of having discriminated against Muslim students in his class during a lesson on freedom of expression where he presented a caricature of Mohammed. In reality, the schoolgirl had not attended this class and the teacher had not discriminated against any of his students. “ This course was balanced and relevant, devoid of any desire to shock », recalled Mr. Braconnay, denouncing “ the slander » which overwhelmed the professor. A veteran of Islamist activism, Abdelhakim Sefrioui is the founder of the association “ Cheikh-Yassine Collective “. This pro-Hamas organization has since been dissolved.
“ These requisitions are not doing justice »
Lawyers for civil parties did not hide their dissatisfaction after the requisitions. “ While Islamist pressure continues to increase on social networks, particularly at school and university, the sentences proposed by a specialized prosecutor’s office are difficult to understand. », Thibault de Montbrial, lawyer for a sister of Samuel Paty, told AFP. Before adding: “ Fortunately, the court is not required to follow them “. Francis Spizner, lawyer for the son and partner of the murdered professor, estimated for his part that “ these requisitions are not doing justice “. The members of Samuel Paty’s family left the courtroom at the end of the arguments before the first defense lawyers began their pleadings.
At the start of the requisitions, Nicolas Braconnay had warned that the indictment would not correspond “ probably not completely up to expectations » of the civil parties.
Sentences ranging from one year to five years including 18 months suspended were requested against the four accused presented by the prosecution as members of the “ jihadosphere » gravitating around Abdoullakh Anzorov on social networks. They are also being prosecuted for terrorist conspiracy.
The prosecution requested a reclassification of the offenses as an apology for terrorism for one, Yusuf Cinar, and as provocation to terrorism for Priscilla Mangel, the only woman implicated in this case.
A sentence of five years including 18 months suspended was requested against the young Russian of Chechen origin Ismaël Gamaev, the only one of the accused to have admitted his guilt. The verdict is expected Thursday December 19 or Friday December 20.