“There is nothing terrorist about Brahim Chnina,” argued Tuesday evening Nabil Ouchikli, one of the advisors of the father of the schoolgirl whose lie triggered the “hate campaign” against the professor of history-geography.
Religious entryism: “I know teachers who are afraid and who do not want to be the Belgian Samuel Paty”
“What is the purpose of this trial? Is it the symbol? Is it making history? Is it reparating the victims? Is it appeasing public opinion? To please the media? Or is it is Brahim Chnina to be judged?” asked another of his advisors, Louise Tort.
“He’s been apologizing for four years, crying, peeing on himself,” continued the lawyer before lamenting: “His apologies will never work, we don’t want them “.
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office requested on Monday 10 years of criminal imprisonment, with a two-thirds security period, against the Moroccan Brahim Chnina, 52, prosecuted for terrorist criminal association (AMT), as well as a ban on French territory ( ITF).
Against Abdelhakim Sefrioui, 65 years old, veteran of Islamist activism, founder of the (now dissolved) pro-Hamas association “Collectif Cheikh-Yassine”, also prosecuted for AMT, the prosecution requested 12 years of criminal imprisonment with also a two-thirds safety period.
AMT is punishable by 30 years of imprisonment.
Assassination of Samuel Paty: the young girl prisoner of her lie
“Too big for him”
In his box, Brahim Chnina, who looks much older than his age, seems to be huddled in on himself. “He is crushed by the horror of the crime too big for him,” explains Mr. Tort.
On October 7 and 8, 2020, Brahim Chnina published messages and videos denouncing Samuel Paty as “sick”. He did not hesitate to provide the name of the professor and the address of his college on social networks.
Mr. Sefrioui reacted to his messages on the evening of October 7 and went with Brahim Chnina to the Conflans-Sainte-Honorine college (Yvelines) the next day to request sanctions against Samuel Paty. He himself published a video where the professor is called a “thug”.
However, the two men’s lawyers noted, they did not know and never met Abdoullakh Anzorov.
Therefore, the defense asks, can the offense of terrorist criminal association be applied against these two accused?
At the trial of the assassination of Samuel Paty, the preacher denies everything: “when it comes to injustice, I know neither father nor mother”
For the public prosecutor, the AMT accused of the two men was established because their digital campaign against Samuel Paty was “concerted” and constituted a “viral and violent targeting of the professor” even though the terrorist threat was revived by the republication of the caricatures of Mahomet by Charlie Hebdo, in September 2020, on the occasion of the opening of the trial of the January 2015 attacks against the editorial staff of the satirical weekly and the Hyper Cacher store.
“The publishing director of Charlie Hebdo should be prosecuted for AMT because the editorial staff knew that the republication (of the caricatures) would encourage terrorism,” dares Nabil Ouchikli, referring to the attack of September 25, 2020 near the former premises of the weekly. “It’s a demonstration by the absurd,” he corrects himself belatedly.
“Brahim Chnina is a father who believed his daughter. It is not a crime. His video is not a crime,” assures Frank Berton, another lawyer for the accused, who appeals to the “courage” of the special assize court of Paris to acquit his client.
“Either you give in to public opinion and its procession, or you do what is hardest, that is to say judge. Judge such a man, who we want to see as a terrorist,” insists Mr. Berton.
“Samuel Paty died of terrorism and acquitting Abdelhakim Sefrioui will not change anything,” said Vincent Brengarth, one of the preacher’s lawyers.
The defense’s final arguments are expected Wednesday afternoon.
The verdict is expected Thursday evening or Friday.
