France: 12 years imprisonment for Reda Hame, recruit of jihadist Abaaoud in Syria

Text by: RFI Follow

Reda Hame, recruited and trained in Syria in 2015 by Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the coordinator of the November 13 attacks in France, was sentenced on Tuesday February 25 in Paris to twelve years' imprisonment.

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This sentence pronounced by the special assize court is accompanied by a two-thirds security period. He was on trial for "participation in a criminal association for the preparation of a crime of harm to persons".

" The assize court has shown restraint and leniency with regard to the personality " of Reda Hame , a former computer technician, welcomed his lawyer Archibald Celeyron after the announcement of the verdict, saying that he " deeply regrets having left for Syria and he explained that he had had no plan of attack ”.

Reda Hame, who has been in pre-trial detention since her arrest in Paris in August 2015, spent eight days with the Islamic State (IS) group in June 2015 in Syria. Abdelhamid Abaaoud trained him in the handling of the Kalashnikov for three days, then accompanied him to the Turkish border by giving him 2,000 euros and 500 dollars in cash and a mission: to carry out an attack in Europe.

The national antiterrorism prosecutor's office had demanded Monday against him the maximum penalty incurred, 20 years of criminal imprisonment with a two-thirds security period. Reda Hame " joined Syria at the time when the most relentless, those who are going to hit Europe, France, are leaving, " said the prosecutor. She behaved, she said, " like a soldier " who " follows the instructions ".

" Do you think that Abaaoud would have chosen him if he had not perceived his determination? Asked the general counsel. " Should he himself participate in the attacks of November 13? She asked.

Reda Hame said she pretended to accept the deadly mission to leave the Syrian "quagmire" and return to France. According to his lawyers, he was "a deserter" from the Islamic State.

While in police custody, he reported on what Abdelhamid Abaaoud had said to him: " If you are given enough to arm yourself, would you be ready to shoot in the crowd?" ".

The jihadist had taken as an example a rock concert. Five months later, three jihadist commandos, including Abaaoud, attacked the Bataclan, the Stade de France and crowded terraces in Paris, killing 130 people.

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