« I apologize to all of Mr. Paty’s family…
– I’ll cut you off right away, we don’t need your excuses, we need your explanations, interrupts Virginie Leroy, the lawyer for the parents of Samuel Paty and his sister Gaëlle.
– I reiterate, I apologize to Mr. Paty, peace to his soul ».
Among the interrogations of personalities of the eight accused, the hearing which took place this Wednesday morning was undoubtedly the most anticipated. Brahim Chnina, 52, is the father of the schoolgirl whose lie was the starting point of the spiral that led to in fine to the assassination of the history and geography professor. The man is accused of having, on this fallacious basis of his daughter's statements, developed and distributed videos, in the company of preacher Abdelhakim Sefrioui, which made Samuel Paty a target.
“I’m nice”
A year after the events, questioned by the personality investigator, he presented himself very diminished, under medication, bursting into tears on several occasions. His lawyer, Frank Berton, read his statements to the court at the time: “ I'm kind, I've always done good, I'm here for something so serious (…). I always wanted to leave this life with a good ending, that people speak well of me, that's a mistakeand. »
Short-cropped and thinning hair, thin white beard, visibly weakened, the accused declared to the court: “ It hurt me to see Mr. Paty's family. I apologize to this poor professor who should never have died in these circumstances. »
Arriving in France from Morocco at the age of ten with his family, Brahim Chnina is today the father of six daughters. A central drama will occupy his life: the rare illness of his brother Rachid, 12 years his junior. Until his death in 2012, from which he never recovered, he devoted himself enormously to it. The fifty-year-old had since found his calling, investing in people with disabilities, through his job or through the association he created.
None of his daughters, except one, are veiled
Brahim Chnina is portrayed as a moderate Muslim, who observes Ramadan, does not drink alcohol and goes to the mosque from time to time. His lack of radicalization is corroborated by his professional and friendly entourage. Her lawyer shows the court family photos: none of her daughters, except one, by choice, is veiled.
So when one of his sisters, recognized as disabled, leaves for Syria after having been “ indoctrinated on the Internet », in his words, he is the first to alert the police services. The civil party emphasizes that he was therefore aware of the dangers of the Internet in carrying out a terrorist act.
You say that you are a polite person, with respectful and respectable language. Do you find that you were respectful, patient and polite towards Samuel Paty?
Maître Francis Szpiner, who represents the ex-partner and son of Samuel Paty, takes up Brahim Chnina when he declares himself in this affair “ victim of terrorism. » « Do you understand that this could seem shocking to Samuel Paty's family? », he questions. A colleague on the same bench calls out to the accused who has been detained for four years: “ You say that you are a polite person, with respectful and respectable language. Do you find that you were respectful, patient and polite towards Samuel Paty? » In the video montage published on Facebook for which he is accused, Brahim Chnina calls Samuel Paty “ thug ».
In court, the father indicated that he was very respectful of the teachers. He even explains that if one of his daughters came back with a punishment, he would agree with the teacher. When his daughter, then in 4ecame back from college telling him lies, he would have done so much better to apply the principles he claims to defend today.
France
