NEW DELHI: Six teenagers have been found guilty by a French court for their involvement in the beheading of history teacher Samuel Paty in 2020.
The teacher had shown caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad in a class on freedom of expression, angering some Muslim parents.
One of the teenagers accused Paty of asking Muslim students to leave the room before showing the cartoons.But it was established that she was not in the class at the time, and she was convicted by the court of making false accusations and slanderous comments.
The other teenagers were found guilty of being part of a planned criminal conspiracy and helping in preparing an ambush. They were accused of pointing out Paty to the attacker, who was an 18-year-old of Chechen origin.
Paty was killed outside his school in a Paris suburb by an 18-year-old assailant of Chechen origin, who was shot dead by the police.
The court handed various sentences to the teenagers, with the most severe being a 6-month prison sentence for one, though it can be served at home with electronic surveillance.
The girl who made false accusations received an 18-month suspended sentence and probation measures for two years. All six teenagers have suspended sentences, and they must follow strict probation measures for two to three years.
Louis Cailliez, lawyer for Paty’s sister Mickaelle, told reporters his client was “satisfied with the full conviction”, but less so with the sentences, that she found “too lenient”.
Dylan Slama, a lawyer for one of the teenagers, said that though it was hard to talk about satisfaction in such tragic circumstances, there was a sense of relief for his client.
Another trial involving adults connected to Paty’s killing is scheduled for the end of next year.
(with input from agency)
The teacher had shown caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad in a class on freedom of expression, angering some Muslim parents.
One of the teenagers accused Paty of asking Muslim students to leave the room before showing the cartoons.But it was established that she was not in the class at the time, and she was convicted by the court of making false accusations and slanderous comments.
The other teenagers were found guilty of being part of a planned criminal conspiracy and helping in preparing an ambush. They were accused of pointing out Paty to the attacker, who was an 18-year-old of Chechen origin.
Paty was killed outside his school in a Paris suburb by an 18-year-old assailant of Chechen origin, who was shot dead by the police.
The court handed various sentences to the teenagers, with the most severe being a 6-month prison sentence for one, though it can be served at home with electronic surveillance.
The girl who made false accusations received an 18-month suspended sentence and probation measures for two years. All six teenagers have suspended sentences, and they must follow strict probation measures for two to three years.
Louis Cailliez, lawyer for Paty’s sister Mickaelle, told reporters his client was “satisfied with the full conviction”, but less so with the sentences, that she found “too lenient”.
Dylan Slama, a lawyer for one of the teenagers, said that though it was hard to talk about satisfaction in such tragic circumstances, there was a sense of relief for his client.
Another trial involving adults connected to Paty’s killing is scheduled for the end of next year.
(with input from agency)
