Kurds killed in Paris: why the terrorist motive is not retained for the moment

David Montagné, edited by Gauthier Delomez 06:11, December 27, 2022

There is no question at this stage of speaking of an attack.

Three days after the shooting in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, which claimed the lives of three Kurds on rue d'Enghien, a judicial investigation was opened on Monday against the main suspect, a 69-year-old retired man, for the murder of racist nature, but not for acts of terrorism.

Some voices are raised among political figures, like Jean-Luc Mélenchon, to ask for this qualification.

But for the time being, the national anti-terrorist prosecutor's office (Pnat) has not been seized.

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An unknown territorial intelligence suspect

Despite everything, if the Pnat immediately looked into the file, it has not yet taken up the case.

In reality, the notion of terrorist attack concerns a very precise qualification, that of murders committed "intentionally, in relation to an individual or collective enterprise, with the aim of seriously disturbing public order through intimidation or terror".

The commission of a racist act is therefore not sufficient to characterize this offence.

For the moment, nothing indicates in the searches carried out at the suspect's home that it is an act of terrorism.

He was also unknown to territorial intelligence and the general direction of internal security (DGSI).

Also, he "was not listed as someone from the ultra-right and would not have pledged allegiance to any organization", according to the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin.

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However, the anti-terrorist prosecution remains cautious and continues its assessment by analyzing the personality of the suspect, his entourage and his motivations.

At any time, in fact, the qualification can change if new elements accredit the thesis of the terrorist attack.