Trial of murder of French teacher begins

Lyon, France — Eight people went on trial in Paris on terrorism charges Monday in the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, who was killed by an Islamic extremist after showing caricatures of the prophet of Islam to middle school students for a freedom of expression class.

Paty’s shocking death left a mark on France and many schools are now named after him.

Paty was killed by an 18-year-old Russian of Chechen origin, who was shot dead by the police in front of his school near Paris on October 16, 2020.

Those on trial include friends of the attacker Abdoullakh Anzorov, who allegedly helped purchase weapons for the attack, as well as people accused of spreading false information online about the teacher and his class.

The attack came at a time of protests in many Muslim countries and calls for violence online targeting France and the satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

The newspaper had republished the Prophet Muhammad cartoons a few weeks before Paty’s death to celebrate the opening of a trial into deadly attacks on its newsroom by Islamist extremists in 2015.

The cartoon images deeply disturbed many Muslims, who saw them as sacrilegious.

But the fallout from Paty’s murder strengthened the French state’s commitment to freedom of expression and its strict adherence to secularism in public life.

Attention at the hearing will focus on Brahim Chnina, the Muslim father of a 13-year-old girl who claims he was expelled from Paty’s class when she showed him the cartoons on October 5, 2020.

Chnina sent a series of messages to his contacts condemning Paty, saying “this sick man” should be fired and the address of the school in the Paris suburb of Conflans Saint-Honorine.

In reality, Chnina’s daughter had lied to her and never attended the lecture in question.

Paty was teaching a Moral and Citizenship Education course on freedom of expression, which is required by the Ministry of National Education.

He discussed the cartoons in this context and said that students who did not want to see them could temporarily leave the classroom.

An online campaign against Paty snowballed and 11 days after the lecture, Anzorov attacked the teacher with a knife as he walked home and displayed the teacher’s head on social media.

The police then shot Anzorov, who was advancing towards them while armed.

Chnina will be tried for alleged links to a terrorist organization that targeted the 47-year-old teacher through false information.

Her daughter was tried in juvenile court last year and given an 18-month suspended sentence.

Four other students at Paty’s school were found guilty of involvement and received suspended sentences; The fifth person who sent Paty to Anzorov in exchange for money was sentenced to six months in prison with an electronic bracelet.

Abdelhakim Sefrioui is another important name in the trial that opened on Monday for adult suspects.

Although he was dismissed, he presented himself as the spokesman for the imams in France.

He shot a video in front of the school with the student’s father.

He referred to the teacher as a “thug” multiple times and attempted to pressure the school administration through social media.

Sefrioui and Chnina face 30 years in prison if convicted.

According to judicial documents, Chnina denied any encouragement to “kill” in her messages and video, claiming that she did not intend to incite hatred and violence.

Sefrioui’s lawyers said that they would seek his acquittal and that the video Sefrioui shot in front of the school was not seen by the terrorist.

Two of Anzorov’s friends face life imprisonment if convicted of complicity in murder in connection with the terrorist organization.

Naim Boudaoud and Azim Epsirkhanov are accused of helping Anzorov buy knives and a pellet gun.

Boudaoud also took Anzorov to Paty’s school.

Four others are charged with criminal terrorist conspiracy for communicating with the killer in jihadist Snapchat groups.