PARIS — On Friday, France’s specialized anti-terrorism court handed down convictions to eight individuals linked to the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, an incident that transpired outside his school near Paris four years ago, shocking the nation.
The tragic death of Paty, 47, occurred on October 16, 2020, when he was attacked by an 18-year-oldChechen extremist following discussions in his classroom about free expression, during which he had shown cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The assailant was subsequently killed by police.
A special court in Paris has been examining the cases of those accused of playing various roles in the events surrounding the murder since late November. Some of the defendants were accused of providing direct assistance to the assailant, while others faced charges for orchestrating an online hate campaign prior to the attack.
The courtroom, which has a capacity of 540 seats, was filled to capacity for the verdict, marking the conclusion of the Paty trial. Security was notably heightened, with over 50 police officers ensuring safety throughout the proceedings.
In attendance was Paty’s 9-year-old son, supported by family members. As the presiding judge, Franck Zientara, pronounced the sentences, the atmosphere in the room became highly charged.
“I feel moved and relieved,” Gaëlle Paty, Samuel Paty’s sister, shared with reporters after hearing the verdict. “The word ‘guilty’ is exactly what I needed.” She spoke about the emotional burden of hearing differing narratives regarding the incident throughout the trial, adding, “Now the judge has confirmed what actually happened, and it brings a sense of relief,” her voice trembling as tears welled in her eyes.
Reactions from the families of the accused were intense, filled with outbursts of shock, cries, and ironic applause, which led the judge to call for order multiple times. One family member shouted claims of dishonesty regarding the treatment of a loved one, while another, overwhelmed with emotion, stated, “They took my baby from me,” before being escorted out by police.
The seven-judge panel largely sided with the sentences proposed by prosecutors, recognizing the severity of the crime.
Convictions were handed to Naïm Boudaoud, 22, and Azim Epsirkhanov, 23, both of whom were friends of the assailant. They received 16-year prison sentences for their roles in facilitating the murder. Notably, they are ineligible for parole for two-thirds of their sentences, meaning they will likely spend about 10 years incarcerated. Boudaoud was cited for driving the assailant to the school, while Epsirkhanov was involved in securing weapons.
Brahim Chnina, a 52-year-old Muslim father whose claims sparked the series of events leading up to the murder, was sentenced to 13 years for association with a terrorist entity, with prosecutors initially seeking a 10-year term.
Abdelhakim Sefrioui, an imam, received a 15-year sentence for coordinating an online campaign that incited hatred against Paty, further condemning the tragic incident that deeply impacted France, resulting in several educational institutions being named in Paty’s honor.
The trial commenced at the end of November, with charges addressing both direct support of the perpetrator and premeditated incitement to violence leading up to the teacher’s death.
The atmosphere surrounding the incident had been tense, with protests erupting across various Muslim countries and online calls for violence against France and the satirical publication Charlie Hebdo. This came after the magazine’s decision to republish caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad weeks before Paty’s tragic death, which were seen as blasphemous by many followers of Islam.
After Chnina’s daughter claimed wrongful exclusion from Paty’s class during the discussion of the cartoons, he sent out warnings about the teacher, reiterating his unfounded claims that Paty needed to be removed from his position, along with the school’s location. In reality, his daughter had never been present during that specific lesson.
Paty was teaching a National Education mandated curriculum that focused on free expression and offered students the option to leave if they were uncomfortable viewing the cartoons.
Just 11 days post-lesson, the assailant, Anzorov, launched a knife attack as Paty made his way home, ultimately displaying the teacher’s head on social media before police shot him dead.
Chnina’s daughter faced juvenile court last year and received an 18-month suspended sentence, while four other students involved were given suspended sentences; one student, who directed Anzorov to Paty for compensation, was sentenced to six months with an electronic monitoring device.
Sefrioui, the on-trial preacher, had falsely positioned himself as a spokesperson for French imams and recorded a video in front of Paty’s school alongside the student’s father, repeatedly labeling the teacher a “thug” while attempting to influence school officials through social media channels.
As the verdict approached, some of the defendants expressed remorse and insisted on their innocence, yet this failed to persuade Paty’s family.
“It’s disheartening for the family,” expressed attorney Virginie Le Roy before the announcement of the verdicts. “They come across as completely unwilling to accept any responsibility.”
“Feels pointless to apologize,” she stated. “However, insights into the events are invaluable to us, and unfortunately, we have not been granted many clear explanations.”
