French jihadist suspected of links to Charlie Hebdo attack goes on trial

RFI

16 September 2024 at 11:31 am·1-min read

French jihadist Peter Cherif, who was close to the brothers behind the 2015 massacre at headquarters of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, went on trial on Monday in Paris, accused of criminal association with a terrorist enterprise.

Peter Cherif, 42, faces terrorism-related offences allegedly committed between 2011 and 2018, when he was in Yemen within the ranks of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) – the al-Qaeda affiliate that claimed responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo massacre.

He also faces charges relating to the 2011 kidnapping and detention in Yemen of three French aid workers, members of the humanitarian organisation Triangle génération humanitaire.

He risks life imprisonment if convicted.

Cherif, also known as Abou Hamza, was arrested in Djibouti in December 2018 after years of allegedly fighting in the ranks of AQAP.

At the time of his arrest, the then minister for the armed forces said it was “very good news because this terrorist played an important role in organising the Charlie Hebdo attack”.

The Paris court now has to establish how significant that role was.

From Paris to Iraq and back

Cherif grew up with Saïd and Cherif Kouachi – the perpetrators of the Charlie Hebdo attack – in the north-east of Paris.

In 2015 he was placed on a US "designated global terrorist" list as a member of AQAP.

Just three months later, he was arrested and handed over to France.

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From Paris to Iraq and back

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