THE father of a French pupil whose account of the use of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad in a class on free speech led to the teacher's brutal murder went on trial this week, accused of association with a terrorist network.
Days after Samuel Paty, 47, showed his pupils the caricatures, in 2020, an 18-year-old assailant of Chechen origin stabbed him repeatedly and beheaded him outside his school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine near Paris.
That happened after the father, Brahim Chnina, published a series of videos on social media, wrongly accusing Paty of disciplining his daughter for complaining about the class, giving Paty's name and identifying the school.
Prosecutors accuse Chnina of collaborating with Abdelhakim Sefrioui, who founded a hardline Islamist organisation, to incite hatred towards the middle-school teacher. Many Muslims consider any depiction of the Prophet Mohammad blasphemous.
"They put a target on the teacher's back," Thibault de Montbrial, a lawyer for Samuel Paty's sister Mickaelle Paty, told reporters. "Their public allegations... the videos they made attacking this teacher... all this spiral led directly to the atrocious decapitation of Samuel Paty."
"It will be interesting to see, how after having set up a whole chain of events from the letter A to the letter Y they will say that they are not responsible for the letter Z."
Both men are charged with association with a terrorist organisation. Chnina's lawyer declined to comment ahead of the start of the trial.
Sefrioui's lawyer, Ouadie Elhamamouchi, has said there is no proof of contact between Sefrioui and the Chechen killer, who was shot dead by police.
Elhamamouchi said that Sefrioui would show the court "that he has absolutely no connection whatsoever with this heinous attack, which he has condemned from day one".
Among the six others on trial in Paris alongside Chnina and Sefrioui are two associates of Paty's killer, Abdullakh Anzorov. Prosecutors allege they knew of Anzorov's plans to slay Paty and helped him buy weapons.
Both are charged with complicity in a terrorist killing, and French media say they have both denied wrongdoing.
Last year, a court found Chnina's daughter and five other adolescents guilty of charges related to taking part in a pre-meditated criminal conspiracy and helping to prepare an ambush.
Chnina's daughter was actually not in Paty's class when the caricatures were shown and the court found her guilty of making false accusations and slanderous comments. French media said the 13-year-old made the allegations against Paty when her parents asked her why she had been suspended from school for two days.
The latest trial is due to run until December.
Teachers from Paty's school will follow the trial closely, said Antoine Casubolo Ferro, a lawyer for 14 of his colleagues.
"They expect the (French) republic, justice, to say: stop, don't mess with teachers ... don't mess with freedom of expression," Casubolo Ferro told reporters.
(Reuters)
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Big B defends his choice to praise Abhishek openly and others privately
Amitabh Bachchan reveals why he praises Abhishek publicly but not Jaya or Aishwarya
Quick highlights:
Amitabh Bachchan has responded to online comments asking why he often praises son Abhishek Bachchan on social media but not wife Jaya Bachchan, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai, or daughter Shweta. The actor explained that while he chooses to support Abhishek publicly, he honours the women in his family privately, saying he prefers to respect them “in his heart.”
Bachchan defends Abhishek praise, addresses fan remarks online
The 81-year-old actor, who regularly shares photos and thoughts with fans, recently posted images of himself meeting admirers outside his Mumbai home, Jalsa. Captioned “Yes, I praise Abhishek. So?”, the post sparked comments from users questioning why he doesn’t do the same for Jaya, Aishwarya, or Shweta.
Responding directly, Bachchan wrote, “Yes, I shall praise them in my heart… not publicly… respect for the ladies.” His reply quickly circulated across platforms, with many praising his thoughtful answer. Others pointed to his tendency to engage more often when defending Abhishek, especially around film releases.
Bachchan also shut down a user accusing him of having “paid fans,” bluntly replying, “Prove it! You are small-minded… why don’t you pay and get fans too?” When another person mocked those waiting outside his home as “unemployed,” he replied with characteristic wit: “So give them a job? When they stand at the gate of Jalsa, they are EMPLOYED in love.”
Actor remains active on social media while juggling film projects
Bachchan has become increasingly interactive online in recent years, often directly responding to criticism and fan feedback. Meanwhile, Abhishek was last seen in Housefull 5, a multi-starrer comedy that released earlier this month. Jaya Bachchan appeared in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani in 2023, while Aishwarya Rai was part of Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan films. Despite the online chatter, Amitabh continues to walk his own path, on-screen and online.