Eiffel Tower attack: Judiciary opens trial for terrorist murder
The French-Iranian man attacked a small group of Filipino tourists near the Eiffel Tower on Saturday evening. When a cab driver tried to intervene, he shouted "Allah is great". A 23-year-old with German and Filipino citizenship died from his injuries. The two others, including the girlfriend of the man killed, were physically unharmed.
The perpetrator was well known to the authorities: He had been in prison for four years for planning a jihadist attack in Paris, then underwent psychological treatment for three years until last April and continued to be under surveillance by the secret service. During his interrogation in police custody, he appeared "ice-cold" and "detached", according to investigators. He had reiterated that his attack was a "reaction to the persecution of Muslims".
Since the major attack by the radical Islamic group Hamas on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent massive Israeli shelling of targets in the Gaza Strip, tensions in France, with its large Jewish and Muslim population, have increased massively.
The highest attack alert level is in force in France after a radicalized ex-pupil stabbed a 57-year-old teacher and injured three other staff members at a school in Arras in northern France on 13 October.
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- The public prosecutor's office in Paris decided to open a trial on the case of the terrorist murder at the Eiffel Tower, as the perpetrator, a French-Iranian man, strongly justified his actions due to perceived Muslim persecution.
- On the very same Saturday evening, this man viciously attacked a group of tourists near the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, shouting "Allah is great."
- The attack on the Eiffel Tower was a chilling reminder of the heightened alert level in France, which was instated after a radicalized ex-pupil stabbed a teacher in Arras, causing injuries to three other staff members.
- Regrettably, one of the victims was a 23-year-old woman with dual German and Filipino citizenship, who tragically lost her life as a result of these acts of terrorism.
- The fact that the guilty party had a history as a terrorist suspect, serving four years in prison for jihadist plotting in Paris, and subsequently underwent psychological treatment before resuming his terrorist activities, sheds light on the intricate challenges of combating terrorism in modern society.
- Although a cab driver attempted to intervene, the murderer appeared to stop only when he was apprehended by the authorities.
- Given the disturbing events at the Eiffel Tower and other instances of terrorism in Paris and beyond, it is crucial for law enforcement agencies and public officials to continuously refine their procedures for dealing with suspects and potential threats in order to safeguard public safety.
Source: www.stern.de
