Trial begins in France for murder of teacher Samuel Paty by Islamist

A trial has begun in Paris against eight people accused of involvement in the 2020 murder of schoolteacher Samuel Paty, who was beheaded by Islamic extremist Abdulla Anzorov for showing students a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad.

In the dock are two of Anzorov’s friends, who, according to the case materials, helped him purchase a murder weapon and get to the crime scene. They face life imprisonment.

The six remaining defendants in the case, including one woman, are suspected of inciting the attack and agitating for joining the Islamic State terrorist group. They face 30 years in prison.

Let us recall that on October 16, 2020, history teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded in the courtyard of the college. According to eyewitnesses, at the time of the attack the perpetrator shouted: “Allahu akhbar!” Having committed the crime, he managed to post a photo of the victim on his Twitter, adding the caption: “Macron, ruler of the infidels, I executed one of your dogs who dared to humiliate Muhammad.”

It is known that a week before this, the teacher told schoolchildren about freedom of speech using the example of Charlie Hebdo’s publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. When preparing to show the children the drawings, the teacher asked the Muslims to leave the class, as he did not want to upset or shock them. However, the teacher’s actions caused a strong reaction not only among the parents of his students, but also in the Muslim city community. After the lesson, the teacher received several threatening emails.

Samuel Paty was killed by 18-year-old Moscow native Abdul Anzorov, who grew up in a Chechen family that moved to France from Russia under the refugee program. He had a residence permit in France valid until March 2030.

Samuel Paty became a symbol of secular France, defending Western values. Several schools are named after him, and the murder led to stricter legislation against Islamic radicals. According to polls, the French continue to consider religious terrorism the main danger.