the two friends of the killer sentenced to 16 years in prison, 13 and 15 years for the authors of the “hate campaign”

The Paris Special Assize Court delivered its verdict Friday evening, after seven weeks of hearings. She handed down sentences generally higher than those requested by the prosecution for the eight defendants, all of whom were convicted.

A verdict delivered late in the evening. The Paris Special Assize Court sentenced to sentences ranging from 3 years suspended to 16 years of criminal imprisonment, Friday December 20, the eight people accused of being involved, to varying degrees, in the death of Samuel Paty, the history-geography professor stabbed then beheaded on October 16, 2020, near his college in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (Yvelines). All eight defendants were found guilty. Azim Epsirkhanov and Naïm Boudaoud were found guilty of complicity in terrorist assassination. Both were sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Islamist preacher Abdelhakim Sefrioui was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Brahim Chnina was sentenced to 13 years of criminal imprisonment. Ismaïl Gamaev was sentenced to 5 years' imprisonment, including 30 months suspended, while Louqmane Ingar was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, including two years suspended. Priscilla Mangel was sentenced to 3 years' imprisonment with suspended probation, while Yusuf Cinar was sentenced to one year's imprisonment and socio-judicial monitoring.

The trial opened on November 4, at the Paris courthouse. On Monday, in their submissions, the two attorneys general asked the court for a downward reclassification of the offenses alleged against four of the eight defendants, which scandalized the civil parties. They had requested sentences ranging from 18 months' imprisonment with a probationary suspension of three years, up to 16 years' imprisonment.

The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office had requested the heaviest sentence against Azim Epsirkhanov, a 23-year-old Russian of Chechen origin who had known the assassin since childhood. The anti-terrorism magistrates had also highlighted the crucial role of Brahim Chnina, the father of the schoolgirl at the origin of the rumor accusing Samuel Paty, and of the Islamist preacher Abdelhakim Sefrioui in the wave of hatred which preceded the assassination. They had thus requested 10 years of criminal imprisonment against the first and 12 years against the second, while their respective lawyers had pleaded for acquittal, Tuesday then Wednesday.