Attack in front of the former premises of “Charles Hebdo”: a trial required against six men
French anti-terrorism investigating judges ordered this Monday, March 25, a trial for six men in the case of the chopper attack in 2020 by a young Pakistani in front of the former premises of the satirical newspaper
Charlie Hebdo
in Paris. This was confirmed to RFI by the national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office, whose requisitions were followed. A seventh man, aged 52, benefited from a dismissal of the charges.
Anti-terrorist investigating judges on Monday March 25 ordered a trial before the special juvenile court for six men for the chopper attack in front of the former premises of “Charlie Hebdo”. (Illustrative image) © Eric Feferberg / AFP
By: RFI with AFP
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On September 25, 2020, Zaheer Mahmoud, a Pakistani then aged 25, seriously injured two employees of the Premières Lignes press agency with a chopper, in front of the former premises of
Charlie Hebdo
in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. He didn't know the newspaper had moved.
For this attack, he will be tried, in particular, for attempted terrorist assassinations and criminal terrorist association. A trial which will be held before the specially composed juvenile court, since the five people prosecuted alongside him were aged between 17 and 21 at the time of the events, and therefore minors for some.
Read also Attack in Paris: the assailant with the chopper indicted and imprisoned
These five men, all born in Pakistan and arrived in France between 2018 and 2019, will be prosecuted for terrorist conspiracy: according to the anti-terrorism prosecution, this charge covers both support for Zaheer Mahmoud in his ideological process, as well as production and transmission at his request of a video of threats against France, and/or participation in claiming responsibility for the attack, or even the communication of contact details of an individual likely to provide him with a weapon.
A “carefully prepared” gesture according to the magistrates
The attack took place three weeks after the start of the trial for the attacks against
Charlie Hebdo
in January 2015. Before an investigating judge, Zaheer Mahmoud declared, according to Agence France-Presse, to have been “
shocked
” by the news publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad by the satirical newspaper, precisely on the occasion of the opening of the trial.
In their indictment order, of which the AFP was also aware, the investigating magistrates consider that his "
action was carefully prepared by several locations at the scene of the events and by the purchase in particular of weapons
", including the chopper. Furthermore, “
before acting, he took care to record a protest video and ensure its broadcast at the end, with the clear objective of guaranteeing its impact, in a context of appeals repeated to murder disseminated particularly from abroad by several preachers and terrorist organizations, particularly in Pakistan
,” they add.
“
We will not comment, we reserve our explanations for the court
,” his lawyers, Me Maïa Kantor and Albéric de Gayardon, told Agence France-Presse.
Also read Attack in Paris: “What the investigation will determine is who manipulated this young person”
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