Paris attacker pledges allegiance to jihadist militia IS in video
The 26-year-old had published many posts "about Hamas, Gaza and Palestine" on the account set up on the online service X (formerly Twitter) in October, said public prosecutor Jean-François Ricard. According to police sources, he mentioned "the murder of innocent Muslims" in his confessional video.
The mother of the alleged perpetrator had already informed the authorities at the end of October that she was worried about her son's condition, as he was becoming very withdrawn. "However, there were no grounds for criminal prosecution," said Ricard.
The man, who was born in France, comes from a non-religious Iranian family. He converted to Islam at the age of 18 and then quickly turned to jihadist ideology. He had been in contact with other jihadist attackers and had also planned to travel to the Syrian-Iraqi border region.
In 2016, he was then sentenced to five years in prison for planning an attack in the Parisian business district of La Défense, of which he served four years. He then remained under judicial supervision. During this time, he made contact with the future murderer of teacher Samuel Paty, among others.
Due to persistent psychological problems, the anti-terrorism public prosecutor's office ordered psychiatric treatment, which ended last April. According to information from investigative circles, the doctors certified at the time that he posed no danger. Since then, he had been under observation by the secret service, said the public prosecutor.
According to the investigators, the 26-year-old attacked a small group of Filipino tourists with a hammer and a knife near the Eiffel Tower at around 8.30 p.m. on Saturday evening. When a cab driver tried to intervene, he shouted "Allah is great". A 23-year-old man, who has German and Filipino citizenship, succumbed to his injuries. The other two, including the partner of the man who was killed, were physically unharmed but are in shock.
The suspected perpetrator initially escaped and fled over a bridge to the other side of the Seine, where he injured a 60-year-old Frenchman and a 66-year-old British tourist. A police patrol finally put him out of action with an electric pistol.
When he was arrested, the 26-year-old is said to have said that he could not bear to see Muslims killed in "Afghanistan and Palestine". He accused France of being Israel's "accomplice" in the Gaza war. According to Ricard, three people close to him were taken into custody.
The renewed jihadist-motivated attack - two months after the fatal knife attack on a teacher in Arras and just a few months before the Summer Olympics in Paris - caused widespread consternation.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) expressed her shock. Her thoughts were with the young man's friends and family, and she wished the injured a speedy recovery, she told the online service X. "Hate and terror have no place in Europe," she added.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his condolences to the relatives of the victim. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne emphasized: "We will not give in to terrorism."
Following a security meeting in Paris on Sunday afternoon, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin called for the authorities to be given more leeway in the future when it comes to the obligation to provide psychiatric treatment.
Since the major attack by the radical Islamic group Hamas on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent war, 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 the northern French city of Arras on 13 October.
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- The 26-year-old's confessional video, published on X (formerly Twitter), highlighted his allegiance to the jihadist militia IS from France.
- Jean-François Ricard, the public prosecutor, mentioned the man's posts about Hamas, Gaza, and Palestine.
- The alleged perpetrator's mother had expressed concern to authorities about his withdrawal and potential radicalization in October.
- Born and raised in France, the suspect converted to Islam at 18 and quickly leaned towards jihadist ideology.
- After serving four years in prison for planning an attack in La Défense, the suspect was released under judicial supervision.
- During this time, he was diagnosed with psychological problems and underwent mandatory psychiatric treatment.
- His doctors concluded he posed no danger, and he was later released without restrictions.
- The man was involved in a knife attack near the Eiffel Tower, targeting a group of tourists and a cab driver, shouting "Allah is great."
- Three people close to the suspect were taken into custody following the attack, which occurred just two months after a fatal knife attack on a teacher in Arras.
- Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock of Germany expressed shock and condolences to the victim's family on Twitter.
- The latest attack has caused widespread concern in France, especially amid high tensions between its Jewish and Muslim populations.
- The renewed jihadist-motivated attack raised questions about the effectiveness of the Public Prosecutor's Office's approach to handling such cases, with Gérald Darmanin advocating for stricter measures.
Source: www.stern.de
