Acquittals were requested Wednesday by the lawyers of Brahim Chnina and Abdelhakim Sefrioui, the two men accused of having launched “a digital fatwa” against the teacher Samuel Paty, beheaded on October 16, 2020 by Abdoullakh Anzorov, shot dead shortly after the events by the police.
The lawyers of Naïm Boudaoud, friend of the attacker and one of the two accused prosecuted for complicity in a terrorist assassination, also demanded the acquittal of their client.
“I know I carry the voice of an innocent man”said Hiba Rizkallah, one of the counsel for the 22-year-old young man who faces life imprisonment.
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (Pnat) wanted the offense targeting Naïm Boudaoud to be reduced, to the great dismay of the civil parties, by holding against him the only terrorist criminal association (AMT) and requesting a sentence of 14 years of seclusion. But the court is not required to follow the requisitions of the public prosecutor.
“There is no direct or indirect link between Abdelhakim Sefrioui and Abdoullakh Anzorov”had previously supported Colomba Grossi, one of the lawyers of Islamist preacher Abdelhakim Sefrioui.
“I am aware that in this case, (Abdelhakim Sefrioui) is not the good guy (…) He doesn’t seem nice and that doesn’t help”recognized Ouadie ElHamamouchi, another lawyer for the preacher.
“There is nothing terrorist about Brahim Chnina”had already pleaded Tuesday evening Nabil El Ouchikli, one of the advisers of the father of the schoolgirl whose lie triggered the “hate campaign” against the history and geography teacher.
“What is the purpose of this trial? Is that the symbol? Is this making history? Is it repairing the victims? Is this appeasing public opinion? Please the media? Or is it judging Brahim Chnina? »asked another of his lawyers, Louise Tort.
The Pnat on Monday requested 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 “Cheikh-Yassine Collective”also prosecuted for AMT, the prosecution requested 12 years of criminal imprisonment with also a two-thirds security period.
AMT is punishable by 30 years of imprisonment.
“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 Me Tort.
On October 7 and 8, 2020, Brahim Chnina published messages and a video denouncing Samuel Paty as a ” sick “. He did not hesitate to provide the name of the professor and the address of his college on social networks.
A photo of Professor Samuel Paty at the Sorbonne University, October 19, 2024 in Paris / Bertrand GUAY / AFP/Archives
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 described as “thug”.
However, the two men’s lawyers noted, they did not know and never met Abdoullakh Anzorov. Sefrioui’s counsel noted that “nothing proves” that the attacker saw the video posted online by their client.
Therefore, the defense asks, can the offense of terrorist criminal association be applied against these two accused?
For the public prosecutor, the AMT accused of the two men is constituted 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 Mohammed 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 store Hide.
“Brahim Chnina is a father who believed his daughter. It’s not a crime. His video is not a crime »assures Frank Berton, another lawyer for the accused, who appeals to « 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. Judging such a man, who we want to see as a terrorist”insists Me Berton.
“Samuel Paty died of terrorism and acquitting Abdelhakim Sefrioui will change nothing”highlighted for his part Vincent Brengarth, another lawyer for the preacher.
A final defense argument is scheduled for Thursday morning before the court retires to deliberate.
The verdict is expected on Friday.