The national anti-terrorism prosecution on Monday requested sentences ranging from 18 months suspended prison sentence to 16 years of criminal imprisonment against the eight accused involved, to varying degrees, in the assassination of Professor Samuel Paty on October 16, 2020. The highest sentence was requested against Russian of Chechen origin Azim Epsirkhanov, 23, tried for complicity in terrorist assassination, but for whom the prosecution asked the court to reclassify in a terrorist criminal association. Defense lawyers will speak Tuesday and Wednesday. The verdict is expected Thursday or Friday.
Twelve years of imprisonment required against preacher Abdelhakim Sefrioui
The sentence of 16 years' imprisonment must be accompanied by a two-thirds security period, said the prosecution, which on the other hand asked the court to set aside the obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) due to the situation in Russia, a mandatory sentence for foreigners convicted in terrorism cases. Attorney General Marine Valentin requested a sentence of 14 years' imprisonment, with a two-thirds security period, against Naïm Boudaoud, 22, who was also being prosecuted for complicity in murder, an offense that the prosecution wants see reclassified for him also as a terrorist criminal association.
The prosecution requested 12 years of criminal imprisonment, with a two-thirds security period, against the Islamist preacher Abdelhakim Sefrioui and 10 years of criminal imprisonment, with a two-thirds security period, against the Moroccan Brahim Chnina . The magistrates also requested an additional penalty of ban from French territory (ITF) against brahim chininaof Moroccan origin. The two men, prosecuted for terrorist conspiracy, are at the origin of the hate campaign on social networks against Samuel Paty, a professor of history and geography who was beheaded upon leaving the college where he taught by Abdoullakh Anzorov, a young 18-year-old Chechen radical Islamist shot dead by police shortly after the incident.
Six college students already tried in 2023
Samuel Paty was beheaded in front of his college in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (Yvelines), by a young radicalized Chechen who was shot dead by the police. But eight other people have appeared before the courts since the beginning of November in Paris, notably for having participated in a cyberharassment campaign which led to his death. At the origin of this campaign of hatred and intimidation, the lie of a 13-year-old student wrongly accusing Professor Paty of discrimination against Muslims. A first trial, that of six former college students, minors at the time of the events, had already taken place in 2023.
