Highlights: Trial of the Strasbourg attack: the blurred contours of Chérif Chekatt's profile. Four people are on trial for having, to varying degrees, participated in providing weapons to this 29-year-old from Strasbourg. The court heard from one of Ch erif Cekatt's brothers, his father and Michael Chiolo, a former fellow inmate who will be tried next year for stabbing two prison guards. But after nine hours of hearing, the contours of Chérif Chekatt’s profile remain unclear.

A week after the opening of the Strasbourg Christmas market attack, the court looked into the profile of the terrorist Chérif Chekatt this Thursday, March 7. Four people are on trial for having, at…

Trial of the Strasbourg attack: the blurred contours of Chérif Chekatt's profile

A week after the opening of the Strasbourg Christmas market attack, the court looked into the profile of the terrorist Chérif Chekatt this Thursday, March 7.

Four people are on trial for having, to varying degrees, participated in providing weapons to this 29-year-old from Strasbourg, shot dead by the police two days after his murderous journey of December 11, 2018, during which he killed five people .

Court sketch made on February 29, 2024, showing the accused Audrey Mondjehi, Christian H., Stéphane B. and Frédéric B. during the trial of the 2018 Strasbourg Christmas market attack at the Paris courthouse.

AFP - BENOIT PEYRUCQ

By: RFI Follow

Hearing report,

Laura Martel

The court heard from one of Chérif Chekatt's brothers, his father and Michael Chiolo, a former fellow inmate who will be tried next year for stabbing two prison guards.

But after nine hours of hearing, the contours of Chérif Chekatt's profile remain unclear.

First there was the older brother's logorrhea, “

theatrical, contradictory, vindictive and worrying

”, summarizes a lawyer for the parties.

What emerges above all is that he considers his younger brother as “

a victim

”.

“

My brother was a good person, but he experienced a lot of injustice,”

he says.

He was gentle, generous, but unfortunately naive, not adapted to living in this world.

His act is inexcusable, but he did it because he was rotten during his childhood.

Then comes the father, with loose ties with this son about whom he ultimately has little to say, beyond the fact that he was "

kind and polite

" and that he would "

never have believed him capable

" of a such crime.

The clearest is ultimately Michael Chiolo, this open supporter of the Islamic State, who, while claiming responsibility for the attack on two guards, also spoke of “

avenging

” Chérif Chekatt.

“A man who followed through on his beliefs and convictions,” he describes, in the middle of a speech modeled on Daesh propaganda.

From 2014, Chérif had a certain attraction for IS, he had in mind to attack France.

And to explain: “

He only spoke about it once.
IS advocates precautions to avoid arrest.
In Chérif's place, if I was looking for a weapon, I would have mentioned a robbery.
If you talk about an attack, even a friend of 15 years can report you.

» An interesting point for the main accused, who rightly maintains that he was thinking of selling a weapon to his delinquent friend for a criminal project, and not a terrorist one.

Also read: The chilling story of the Strasbourg attack: “15 minutes to save my life”

Trial of the Strasbourg attack: the blurred contours of Chérif Chekatt's profile

Trial of the Strasbourg attack: the blurred contours of Chérif Chekatt's profile

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