Six teenagers accused of involvement in the beheading of French history teacher Samuel Paty in 2020 will face trial behind closed doors on Monday (Nov 27).
Paty, 47, had shown cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a class on freedom of expression, sparking anger among some Muslim parents and students. The portrayal of the Prophet is considered blasphemous in Islam.
Among the accused minors is a 15-year-old girl who initially claimed Paty showed caricatures in her class. However, it was later established that she wasn’t present during the incident, leading to a charge of false accusation.
The assailant, an 18-year-old born in Russia to Chechens, beheaded Paty outside his school in a Paris suburb. The attacker was subsequently shot dead by the police.
The remaining five minors, aged between 14 and 15 at the time, will face charges of premeditated criminal conspiracy or ambush.
They are suspected of assisting the murderer by identifying Paty or monitoring his exit from the school.
All six minors, now before the children’s court, could potentially be sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. The hearings are scheduled to last until December 8.
France, which hosts Europe’s largest Muslim minority, has grappled with a series of attacks by Islamist militants or sympathisers.
Besides the minors, eight adults are also accused and will face a special criminal court, underscoring the gravity of the incident.
Following Paty’s tragic death, some teachers admitted self-censorship to avoid conflicts with students and parents over issues related to religion and free speech.
