“For four years I have been facing a mountain which prevents me from seeing the horizon, which prevents me from projecting myself, which prevents me from being happy. The mountain of despair…” In his last words pronounced before the special assize court of Paris, Thursday December 19, Naïm Boudaoud, one of the eight accused in the trial for the assassination of Samuel Paty, once again proclaimed his innocence. Dismissed for complicity in terrorism, the 22-year-old man has always denied, including during his interrogation on November 21, having any knowledge of the assassin Abdoullakh Anzorov’s plan, which he nevertheless dropped off near the college before the latter did not decapitate the history-geography professor on October 16, 2020.
Like most of the accused, Naïm Boudaoud then addressed the teacher’s family, present in the courtroom. “Of course, I have suffering that is not at all equal to that of Samuel Paty’s family, but I want them to know that I never wanted to harm anyone and that I am unable to help someone hurt”he declared in a quavering voice.
His co-defendant Azim Epsirkhanov, a 23-year-old Russian of Chechen origin who had known Abdoullakh Anzorov since childhood, praised the attitude of Bernadette Paty, the professor’s mother, who came to testify at the trial on November 8. “I have enormous respect for this mother, who appeared before you without any hatred, without any frustration, who spoke before you to demand justice and the truth”he delivered in a barely audible tone. “It is to the family that we owe the truth”insisted Azim Epsirkhanov, who refuted having “participated in anything” or harmed “to the integrity of anyone”. While he is also being tried for complicity in a terrorist assassination, the prosecution asked the court to reclassify the alleged acts as a terrorist criminal association, as for Naïm Boudaoud.
As for Brahim Chnina, the father of the schoolgirl at the origin of the rumor about Samuel Paty, he once again apologized, in particular with regard to the professor’s young son, and renewed his regrets “from the bottom of my heart”. “I didn’t think about the consequences, I was selfish, I wanted to defend my daughter and unfortunately I failed everything”summarized the accused, against whom the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (Pnat) requested 10 years of criminal imprisonment. If he admits to awkwardness at the hearing, he denies the facts with which he is accused: “I am not a terrorist, I am not part of a terrorist criminal association, I hate terrorists, my life is to help people, to be useful.”
“Terrorism, my whole being rejects it, my philosophy rejects it, my activism is for justice”, added preacher Abdelhakim Sefrioui, who took advantage of the last words to demand, as his lawyers did on Wednesday, his acquittal. The accused, against whom the Pnat requested 12 years of criminal imprisonment, said he hoped that “this trial could have allowed the family of Samuel Paty and their loved ones to evolve in the way of [l]“I have nothing to do with this crime unworthy of all humanity”he proclaimed.
Two other defendants took the stand. Yusuf Cinar had scribbled on a paper the few words he read. He declared that he wanted “find” his family, without being deported to Türkiye, and that he was “with all my heart to the Paty family”. Priscilla Mangel had no words for the Paty family. “You have before you a woman veiled but naked, naked and very worried, very worried about the future”she concluded, saying she echoed the words of her lawyer. Also members of the “jihadosphere”, Ismaïl Gamaev and Louqmane Ingar chose not to speak.
These comments from six of the eight accused did not “frankly convinced” the family of Samuel Paty, according to Virginie Le Roy, the lawyer for the professor’s parents and one of his sisters, Gaëlle Paty. “These last words, generally speaking, were rather victimistic,” she reacted to journalists. “Those in the box don’t want to admit” of “responsibility”, et “it’s a shame”, said Virginie Le Roy, saying to herself “disappointed with the audience” car “we didn’t have much explanation of the facts.” The court retired to deliberate. The verdict is expected on Friday, “from 8 p.m.”.
