Former Toulouse jihadist Jonathan Geffroy before the special assize court in Paris
Jonathan Geffroy, his wife Latifa Chadli are judged by the special assize court of Paris for association of terrorist criminals.
© RFI / François-Damien Bourgery
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Since his arrest in 2017 with his wife, Jonathan Geffroy has provided a lot of information to investigators on his career within the Islamic State organization but also on the projects of the terrorist organization.
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Converted to Islam in 2007, Jonathan Geffroy quickly radicalized.
From 2008, he made many trips to Egypt where he notably met
Abdelkader Merah
, who asked him in 2010 to host his brother Mohamed, author two years later of the attacks in Toulouse and Montauban against soldiers and a Jewish school.
Supported by the Islamic State organization as soon as he arrived in Syria with his family in February 2015, Jonathan Geffroy found some of his radicalized Toulouse friends there, such as the brothers Jean-Michel and
Fabien Clain
, future perpetrators of the claims of the attacks of 13 november.
He also fought in Iraq, in Ramadi, in the katiba Tariq Ibn Ziyad, an elite unit to which the attackers of the Bataclan belonged.
Jonathan and his wife Latifa Geffroy were captured by the Free Syrian Army (ASL) in early 2017, as they sought to flee Syria, before being handed over to France in September of the same year.
Plans for suicide attacks committed by children
Today, Jonathan Geffroy describes himself as "
repentant
", even if evaluation reports estimate that he still adheres "
to a very rigorous vision of Islam
".
The forty-year-old was in any case talkative with the investigators: he revealed in particular that the EI group had considered sending children to carry out suicide attacks in Europe and wanted to attack a French nuclear power plant.
Before the special Assize Court of Paris, where he is tried from this Monday, January 16 for association with terrorist criminals, he also intends to be heard, according to his lawyer.
“
After five years in pre-trial detention, Jonathan Geffroy is relieved to come before his judges;
he wishes to explain himself on his career and the evolution which is his since his return to France
”, indicates Me Dufau.
In addition to the charge of terrorist criminal association, Jonathan and Latifa Geffroy are also being prosecuted for having taken their child to the Iraqi-Syrian zone.
At their side, Jonathan Geffroy's mother is on trial for financing terrorism, for having sent some 10,000 euros to her son.
The trial is scheduled until January 23.
Jonathan Geffroy and his wife face 30 years in prison.
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