Bernadette Paty, 77 years old, a former teacher with short hair and thin glasses, evokes a Samuel Paty who was passionate about History since his early childhood. “Samuel was an intellectual. He was not a believer, my husband and I are not believers, but he was very respectful of all religions,” she explains.
In the box, the accused followed the testimony of Samuel Paty’s mother attentively, without looking away or lowering their heads. “I knew that Samuel was going to show these caricatures of Charlie Hebdo during a lesson on freedom of expression. He was on vacation with us in August (2020) when he prepared his course,” continues Bernadette Paty. This detail, “completely forgotten,” she said with a sad smile, only came back to her at the time of the tragedy.
“Our life since then has become a great void”
“Losing a child in such conditions is unbearable and unacceptable. Losing our son because he showed drawings disgusts us. Our life since that day has become a great void,” explains Bernadette Paty. “What happened to him is so barbaric and unjust that we will never be able to mourn. I expect from this trial that the responsibility of each accused will be recognized and that the sentences will be appropriate,” she insists, still without trembling.
“I am happy to be retired because today, teachers are challenged. I don’t understand,” she laments again, in response to a question from the court. “Today, we contest, we threaten and we attack.”
Teachers from the Gambetta-Carnot school complex in Arras where, three years after Samuel Paty, professor Dominique Bernard was assassinated by a young Russian radical Islamist of Ingush origin, are present in the courtroom. “The injury we received (the day of Samuel Paty’s death) is very real. It’s a vision that forever changed our vision of life,” explains Jeanne A., a teacher like her ex-partner. “The injustice that happened to Samuel forces us to walk on a tightrope,” she adds before demanding “truth and justice.”
“I will never accept the slightest excuse”
“Samuel was not assassinated for showing caricatures and committing blasphemy which has no legal value. Samuel was assassinated by a radicalized Islamist in search of jihad (…) on the basis of a campaign of infamy on the internet led by Islamists demanding nothing more and nothing less for his head. It is Islamism that is at issue and not caricatures, nor freedom of expression and even less secularism,” maintains Mickaëlle Paty.
Gaëlle Paty chooses to address the accused directly. “Launching a virulent cabal targeting my brother by name and inciting action, promoting this cabal on social networks and encouraging acts (…) constitute serious responsibilities,” she told them. “It’s not enough to not get your hands dirty so as not to be responsible for my brother’s death,” she adds.
“I will never accept the slightest excuse from people who do not recognize their responsibility. It’s totally indecent (…) Without you, Samuel would be alive today,” underlines Gaëlle Paty.
The last of the eight accused to be questioned at the end of the first week of the trial, Yusuf Cinar, a close friend of the assassin, seems not to have heard her. “I dispute the facts. I have been innocent for four years (…) I don’t like the label that people put on me. I am not a terrorist,” he said. The trial is scheduled until December 20.
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