Attack plan foiled before Euro 2016: life imprisonment required against Réda Kriket

The national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office (Pnat) on Tuesday requested life imprisonment against Réda Kriket, tried in Paris since March 8 for a plan for a jihadist attack foiled in March 2016, a few weeks before the Euro football in France.

The prosecution asked for the same maximum sentence, with a safety period of 22 years, against two of his co-defendants, Anis Bahri and Abderrahmane Ameuroud, also "driving forces in the preparations" for this terrorist attack which took place. 'announced "murderous".

Réda Kriket, a 39-year-old ex-offender, was arrested on March 24, 2016 in the Paris region, two days after the attacks in Brussels.

"A project prepared for many months" for the anti-terrorism prosecution

In an apartment he had been renting under a false name since the summer of 2015 in Argenteuil, in Val-d'Oise, investigators discovered "much more than an arsenal", noted one of the general counsel: thirteen weapons, including five assault rifles, a "multitude of ammunition" and "ready-made explosives".

Before the Special Assize Court, the prosecution put forward the "long-standing, persistent commitment to a cause that goes beyond the sole religious commitment" of Réda Kriket, Anis Bahri and Abderrahmane Ameuroud, whose genetic profiles have been identified in this Argenteuil cache, especially on weapons.

Despite their "denials", they were "the trio to maneuver this attack project".

A project "murderous, prepared for long months, in connection with the Islamic State, part of the wave of attacks perpetrated" in 2015 and 2016 in France and in Europe, noted the other representative of the prosecution .

For the Pnat, "the framework of this attack project began in January 2015", with the stay in Syria "highly probable" of Réda Kriket and Anis Bahri.

Four to thirteen years in prison required for the other four accused

The latter had also, before being arrested in the Netherlands, March 27, 2016, after the "resounding" arrest of Réda Kriket, sought to "escape into Syria", giving as guarantors two executives of "external operations "of the terrorist group.

"We do not recommend such figures without a strong bond of trust," said one of the magistrates.

"The file does not say" what were the "targets" of this proposed attack, agreed the prosecution, which "assumed" not to have "all the answers to the questions asked".

Against four other defendants, also tried for terrorist association but "implicated" to a lesser extent, the prosecution requested sentences ranging from four years imprisonment to thirteen years imprisonment.

In total, five of the accused are tried in a state of legal recidivism and therefore face life imprisonment.

The verdict is expected Thursday or Friday.