Eight people have been convicted in a French anti-terrorism court of involvement in the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty outside his school four years ago, reports The Guardian.
Paty, 47, was killed outside his school near Paris on 16 October 2020, days after showing his class cartoons of the prophet Muhammad during a debate on free expression. The assailant, an 18-year-old Russian of Chechen origin, was shot to death by police.
Those who have been on trial on terrorism charges at a special court in Paris since the end of November are accused, in some cases, of providing assistance to the perpetrator and, in others, of organising a hate campaign online before the murder took place.
The 540-seat courtroom in central Paris was packed for the verdict, which marked the final chapter of the Paty trial. The atmosphere became charged as the lead judge delivered the sentences.
Families of the accused, seated on the benches, reacted strongly – there were gasps, cries, shouts, and even ironic clapping erupted, prompting the judge to pause several times and call for silence.
Prosecutors requested sentences ranging from 18 months suspended imprisonment to 16 years in prison against the defendants. They include friends of assailant Abdoullakh Anzorov who allegedly helped buy weapons for the attack and the father of a schoolgirl whose lies started the fatal spiral of events.
The national anti-terrorism prosecutor had asked the court to downgrade the offences of four of the eight defendants, prompting ire from Paty’s family.
“It’s more than a disappointment,” Paty’s sister Mickaëlle had told broadcaster TF1. “In a moment like this, it feels like one is fighting for nothing.”