The trial of eight defendants for the murder of French teacher Samuel Paty begins

Seven men and one woman will go on trial at the Paris special court on Monday. They are accused of orchestrating a campaign of hate and intimidation that led to the murder of French teacher Samuel Paty in 2020.

Paty, 47, was beheaded on October 16, 2020, outside the secondary school in Conflans, northwest of Paris, where he taught history and geography.

His killer, Abdoullah Anzorov, claimed he murdered Paty to “punish” him for showing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in a lesson on free speech.

Anzorov, 18, was later shot dead by police during an attempted arrest.

Before the attack, Paty faced a wave of online harassment after taking a social etiquette lesson at the Collège du Bois-d'Aulne.

A 13-year-old student who did not attend the class claimed the class was discriminatory against Muslims.

Her allegations went viral and the girl, along with five former classmates, were sentenced by a juvenile court in December 2023 to suspended sentences of between 14 months and two years.

The colleagues of the murdered teacher Samuel Paty are wrestling with the role of former students in the attack

“Targeted campaign”

Monday's hearing will include adults between the ages of 22 and 65.

The defendants include Brahim Chnina, 52, father of the girl whose claims sparked the controversy, and Abdelhakim Sefrioui, 65.

They claim that Chnina had nine telephone contacts with Anzorov. He and Sefrioui face 30 years in prison if found guilty.

Accusation of complicity

Azim Epsirkhanov, 23, is charged with complicity in Paty's murder because he allegedly helped Anzorov buy weapons.

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