The trial for the attack on the Strabourg Christmas market opens this Thursday, February 29, in the absence of its perpetrator. On December 11, 2018, Cherif Chekatt, a 29-year-old from Strasbourg, registered as S, killed 5 people and injured 11 others, before being shot dead by the police after two days of tracking. Four people will appear before the Paris Special Assize Court until April 5. Before this trial, a reminder of the facts.
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It is 7:48 p.m. when Cherif Chekatt begins his deadly journey through the heart of the city center. As he wanders around, this man, calm and determined according to witnesses, shoots passers-by or attacks them with knives. From one, he asks his first name, “ if he is a Christian » and stabs him twice, just before to murder an Afghan national without warning to the cry of “ God is great » in front of his children.
A little further on, he fired on a patrol of Sentinel soldiers and injured civilians who were trying to disarm him. It is 7:58 p.m. and in 10 minutes, Cherif Chekatt has left 5 dead and 11 injured when he rushes into a taxi. The driver, realizing that he was injured, convinced him to stop for treatment.
Taking advantage of a moment of inattention on the part of the terrorist, he manages to flee. His information will be crucial to identify the assailant, who will remain on the run for 48 hours despite the helicopters and the approximately 650 law enforcement officers who crisscross the city and will receive more than 850 reports from citizens. These 48 hours of anguish ended on the evening of December 13, when the terrorist, spotted, opened fire on a police patrol before being shot dead.
Four accused, including one of terrorism
During the trial which opens this Thursday before the special assize court of Paris, Audrey Mondjehi will be the only accused in the box. Of the four accused, he is the only one for whom the terrorist qualification was retained. Prosecuted for complicity in assassination and terrorist assassination attempts, including against persons holding public authority, he faces life imprisonment. This Ivorian, now 42 years old, convicted 23 times for theft and domestic violence in particular, is a former co-inmate of Cherif Chekatt, himself a common criminal and a repeat offender.
According to the prosecution, Audrey Mondjehi played “ an indispensable role in the supply of weapons » to the terrorist, by putting him in contact with the people who sold him these weapons, while he “ could not ignore, or even share, all or part of the radical convictions of Chérif Chekatt “. Although he partially recognized this intermediary role during the investigation, Audrey Mondjehi, however, denies any knowledge of Cherif Chekatt’s terrorist aims or even his radicalism. The three other defendants, who appear free, are being prosecuted for having participated in these arms sales, but without being able to suspect a terrorist project. They risk 10 years in prison.
A fifth defendant, aged 84, had his file separated for health reasons and could be judged at a later date.