Conflans attack: new arrests after the assassination of Samuel Paty,” translated from “Attentat de Conflans : nouvelles gardes à vue après l’assassinat de Samuel Paty,” by Jean-Michel Décugis, Vincent Gautronneau and Jérémie Pham-Lê, Le Parisien, December 8, 2020 at 6:52 p.m., modified December 8, 2020 at 8:27 p.m.
How deeply was Abdoullakh Anzorov, the terrorist responsible for the death of Samuel Paty, virtually anchored in the jihadist movement? According to our information, investigators from the Anti-Terrorism Sub-Directorate (SDAT), who are continuing their investigation into the death of the 47-year-old history and geography teacher, on Monday morning arrested five young adults suspected of being part of the terrorist’s entourage. Originally from Seine-Maritime and Haute-Loire, these young people aged 18 to 21 are all of Chechen origin, like the terrorist. Their custody can last up to 96 hours.
According to a source familiar with the matter, these five men would all have been in contact, at least virtually, with 18-year-old Abdullakh Anzorov. They are particularly suspected of having conversed on messengers of the jihadist sphere with the assassin of Samuel Paty, who was killed on October 16 at his school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (Yvelines). Investigators are also investigating to find out whether some of these young people of Chechen origin may have had contact with the terrorist beyond this virtual world.
Three young people indicted for “terrorist criminal association”
Since the death of Samuel Paty, investigators have observed the essential role of the digital jihadist movement in the radicalization of Abdoullakh Anzorov. The 18-year-old adult was thus in contact, through messaging or social networks, with many who were radicalized, including at least one jihadist living in Syria. In France, three young men are already indicted for “terrorist criminal association” and imprisoned. All of them had virtual contacts evoking jihad and radicalization with the terrorist. The first, Yussuf C., was arrested a few hours after the heinous attack. On November 3, two 18-year-old men were in turn arrested by the DGSI. These three young adults were in contact with the assassin of Samuel Paty in a Snapchat group initially called “La Zik c’est Haram”.
The terrorist regularly published photos of the Daesh flag, reminders of religious order. A few minutes before his act, he had sent his virtual friends a new message in the form of a farewell: “Say prayers for me, I will pass trials today and I hope that thanks to the help from Allah I will be successful.” None of them had tried to stop him or warn the authorities. A 17-year-old girl, close to a member of this group but not part of it, is also being prosecuted.
Beyond the digital entourage of Abdoullakh Anzorov, ten people with disparate profiles are already indicted in this case, mainly for “complicity in a terrorist assassination”. First there is Brahim C., father of a student at the college where Samuel Paty taught. It is this 48-year-old man who launched a controversy on social networks after the course on freedom of expression given by the history-geo teacher. In this smear campaign, he had been assisted by a second indicted person: Abelhakim Sefrioui, an Islamist militant S, who had given a wide response to the controversy by recording in turn a video. According to the version of the investigators, it is these publications on social networks that would have pushed the terrorist to take action.
Five middle school students prosecuted for “complicity in murder”
In his macabre project, he had also received the help of two friends. Originally from Evreux like Abdoullakh Anzorov, they admitted having accompanied the terrorist during the purchase of a knife or having taken him to the Paris region, but never had knowledge of his intentions. Five schoolchildren are also being prosecuted for “complicity in murder”. Antiterrorist officials accuse them of being on the lookout while the terrorist waited for his future victim or of having pointed out Samuel Paty to his assailant.
