Two friends of the jihadist responsible for the beheading of a French history and geography teacher were convicted by a French court on Friday for their complicity in the killing. Naim Boudaoud, 22, and Azim Epsirkhanov, 23, were sentenced to 16 years in prison, with prosecutors originally seeking life sentences for their involvement in the brutal murder outside Samuel Paty’s school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, west of Paris. The incident, which took place in October 2020, shocked France as Mr. Paty, 47, was killed by an 18-year-old Islamist radical after showing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in class. The perpetrator, Abdoullakh Anzorov, was later killed in a confrontation with the police. It was revealed that Anzorov had sent a photo of the murder scene to a member of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and received a supportive response.
The court found Boudaoud and Epsirkhanov guilty of providing logistical support to Anzorov, including assisting in the purchase of weapons. Prosecutor Marine Valentin emphasized that the defendants were fully aware of Anzorov’s extremist beliefs when they aided him. Additionally, two other individuals, Brahim Chnina and Abdelhakim Sefrioui, were sentenced to 13 and 15 years, respectively, for terrorist criminal association. Chnina and Sefrioui were described as an “infernal duo” who contributed to inciting violence against Mr. Paty through social media.
Overall, eight individuals were convicted in connection with the case, with sentences ranging from one to five years. Among them was Priscilla Mangel, a social media influencer with jihadist sympathies, who was sentenced to a term of imprisonment. Mr. Paty’s sister expressed disappointment with the prosecutors’ sentencing demands, stating that she believed her brother’s death was in vain. She highlighted the ongoing threats faced by teachers and the lack of progress in addressing the issue.
The tragic incident stemmed from Mr. Paty’s use of controversial cartoons in an ethics class to facilitate discussions on freedom of expression in France. The cartoons, originally published in Charlie Hebdo magazine, sparked controversy and led to the teacher being targeted by extremist individuals. Anzorov’s chilling message following the murder revealed his intentions to engage in further violence, underscoring the grave consequences of extremism and terrorism.
Prior to Paty’s tragic murder, Anzorov had taken to Snapchat to share a chilling message, proclaiming that the “best group to join at the moment is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham”. In the aftermath of the heinous act, a spokesperson for HTS revealed to a French journalist specializing in radical Islam that their organization was not acquainted with Anzorov and had no part in the despicable crime. However, notably absent was a condemnation of the brutal killing.
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