January 26, 2026, 3:45 p.mJanuary 26, 2026, 3:45 p.m
More than five years after the murder of teacher Samuel Paty in France, the appeal trial against four alleged supporters of the perpetrator has begun before a Paris jury.
The murder of Samuel Paty sparked international horror.Image: AP
On October 16, 2020, the 47-year-old history teacher was killed and beheaded by an 18-year-old in a Paris suburb on his way home near school. The police shot the perpetrator, who has Russian-Chechen roots, a few minutes later.
The crime was classified as an Islamist-motivated act of terrorism and sparked international outrage. France, already traumatized by terror, was hit to the core by the act. Before the attack, there was agitation against the teacher on the Internet because he had shown controversial Mohammed caricatures from the satirical magazine “Charlie Hebdo” in class on the subject of freedom of expression. This incitement is said to have driven the attacker to his crime.
Berlin 2020: There are flowers and candles in front of the French embassy.Image: DPA central image
Friends are said to have helped the perpetrator
The appeal process began with special security precautions and great media interest. The accused are two friends of the perpetrator, now 24 and 25 years old, who are said to have accompanied him when he bought weapons and drove him to the crime scene. In an initial trial they were sentenced to 16 years in prison for involvement in a terrorist attack. They said they had no idea about the perpetrator’s true intentions.
Also on trial are the father (54) of a student who circulated false accusations against Paty and thus triggered the incitement, as well as an Islamist preacher (66). The two men are said to have fueled the agitation against the teacher with videos on social networks. They were sentenced to 13 and 15 years in prison, respectively.
Around two years ago, six students were convicted in a separate trial for their involvement in the dramatic lead-up to the bloody crime. They helped the assassin identify the teacher immediately before the crime. (sda/dpa)