In Paris, eight individuals are on trial accused of encouraging the murder of Samuel Paty, a teacher who was beheaded near his school four years ago. Abdoullakh Anzorov, the Chechen-born attacker, was killed by police shortly after the incident. The trial is less about the act itself and more focused on the events and influences that led to it.
Over the next seven weeks, the court will explore how a 13-year-old girl’s fabricated story sparked a viral hate campaign on social media, ultimately leading Anzorov to commit the attack in a self-proclaimed act of vengeance. Those on trial include two men accused of publicly labeling Mr. Paty a “blasphemer” online, two friends of Anzorov who allegedly assisted him, and four others who offered support in online chats.
Mr. Paty, a dedicated and respected history teacher in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, had taught a lesson on freedom of speech on October 6, 2020. In discussing the Charlie Hebdo attack, he showed a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad, advising students to look away if they found it offensive. The following day, a 13-year-old student falsely claimed that Mr. Paty told Muslim students to leave the room to show a nude image of the Prophet, though she hadn’t attended the lesson.
This fabricated story spread widely online. The girl’s father, Brahim Chnina, shared videos of her accusations on Facebook, naming Mr. Paty. Abdelhakim Sefrioui, an Islamist activist, posted a video titled “Islam and the Prophet Insulted in a Public College,” further fueling the outrage. Within days, Mr. Paty and his school faced a surge of hate messages and threats from around the world.
The online denunciation reached Anzorov, then 18 and living in Rouen. He prepared for the attack, allegedly receiving logistical help from two friends now on trial. On October 16, after purchasing weapons, Anzorov went to the school where Mr. Paty taught.
The remaining defendants, including one woman, allegedly offered Anzorov support through Snapchat and Twitter. While the defendants acknowledge their connections to Anzorov, they deny charges of “terrorist association” or “complicity to commit terrorist murder.” Defense lawyers for Chnina and Sefrioui argue that, while they criticized Mr. Paty publicly, they did not incite his murder. Similarly, Anzorov’s friends claim they were unaware of his intentions.
Prosecutors, however, assert that in the climate of heightened jihadist threats—exacerbated by the re-publication of Charlie Hebdo cartoons—the denunciation amounted to identifying Mr. Paty as a target. The trial is expected to continue until late December.
