LYON, France — A trial is set to begin in Paris on Monday for eight individuals facing terrorism-related charges in connection with the beheading of Samuel Paty, a teacher who was murdered by an Islamic extremist after presenting caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad during a lesson about freedom of expression. Paty’s brutal killing on October 16, 2020, left a profound impact on France, prompting schools to be named in his honor. The assailant, an 18-year-old Russian of Chechen descent, was shot and killed by police shortly after the attack.
Those facing trial include associates of the attacker, Abdoullakh Anzorov, who are accused of aiding him in procuring weapons for the assault. They also include individuals implicated in disseminating misinformation online regarding Paty and his lesson. The attack unfolded amidst widespread protests in several Muslim countries and calls for violence against France and Charlie Hebdo, the satirical newspaper that had reprinted the controversial caricatures shortly before Paty’s murder as a means to mark the commencement of the trial for the deadly 2015 attack on its offices by Islamic extremists.
The contentious cartoon images were viewed by numerous Muslims as offensive, but the wave of violence that followed Paty’s death only strengthened France’s dedication to upholding freedom of expression and its ties to secularism in public life. A significant focus of the trial will be on Brahim Chnina, the father of a 13-year-old girl who falsely claimed exclusion from Paty’s class during the lesson in question.
Chnina sent numerous messages to his contacts, condemning Paty and stating that “this sick man” should be dismissed, even providing the address of Paty’s school located in the Paris suburb of Conflans Saint-Honorine. However, it was later revealed that Chnina’s daughter had lied to him and had not attended the lesson where the caricatures were shown. Paty was teaching a Moral and Civic Education class mandated by the National Education Ministry on the subject of freedom of expression, allowing students the option to leave if they were uncomfortable with the visuals.
An online campaign targeting Paty escalated rapidly, resulting in Anzorov approaching the teacher on the street 11 days later, where he fatally attacked him and then displayed the decapitated head on social media before being shot by police. During the trial, Chnina will face accusations of associating with a terrorist enterprise for his role in spreading false information about Paty. His daughter, whose claims initiated a chain of events leading to his death, was tried in a juvenile court the previous year and received an 18-month suspended sentence. Additionally, four other students linked to the school also faced legal consequences with suspended sentences; one student who directly identified Paty to Anzorov was sentenced to six months with an electronic monitoring device.
Another pivotal figure in the trial is Abdelhakim Sefrioui, who had previously claimed to represent Imams of France despite being removed from that position. He filmed a video alongside Chnina outside the school, calling the teacher a “thug” and attempting to influence the school’s administration via social media platforms. Sefrioui, known for founding the pro-Hamas Cheikh Yassine Collective, which was disbanded soon after Paty’s death, has a history of threatening Muslims advocating peaceful relations with Jews, including the leader of the Grand Mosque of Paris.
If convicted, Chnina and Sefrioui could face up to 30 years in prison. Although Chnina asserted that his messages were not intended to incite violence, judicial documents revealed his actions raised significant concern. Meanwhile, Sefrioui’s legal team plans to argue for his acquittal, contending the video he recorded was not seen by Anzorov before the attack.
Anzorov reportedly found Paty’s name through jihadist social media channels, despite living 100 kilometers away and having no personal connection to the teacher. Two of Anzorov’s friends are facing life sentences if found guilty of murder complicity linked to terrorist activities. Naim Boudaoud and Azim Epsirkhanov are accused of assisting Anzorov in acquiring a knife and a pellet gun, with Boudaoud allegedly driving Anzorov to the school. Both have turned themselves into authorities, maintaining they were unaware of Anzorov’s intentions.
The remaining individuals involved face charges of criminal conspiracy related to communicating with the assailant through pro-jihadist Snapchat groups, all of whom deny knowing the plot against Paty. One individual has been noted for sending smiling emojis following the distribution of the slain teacher’s head on social media. Recently, on October 13, 2023, another teacher in France became a victim of a radicalized Islamist from Russia, originally from Ingushetia near Chechnya.