DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Denver announces the retirement of Allen Paty as general manager
marking the end of his influential tenure in hotel management
With a strong background in hotel operations
Cheryl Biggins will assume the general manager role
the longtime General Manager of DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Denver
Paty significantly shaped the hotel's experience
leading an extensive $18 million renovation that updated guest rooms
His community engagement was evident in his service on the Tourism Improvement District board and his recognition as Hotelier of the Year by the Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association in 2014
previously the Hotel Manager at DoubleTree Denver
has been promoted to the position of General Manager
Biggins brings a comprehensive understanding of the property and a robust background in hotel operations
she aims to continue the hotel's growth while maintaining a commitment to superior guest experiences
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Denver is part of a global portfolio of over 680 hotels across 56 countries and territories.
a hotel management company with a portfolio of more than 240 hotels and resorts in the U.S.
oversees operations at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Denver
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Much of France is focused on the trial of eight people stemming from the 2020 beheading of French schoolteacher Samuel Paty by Abdoullah Anzorov
an 18-year-old Muslim immigrant from Chechnya
This raises difficult questions about legal limits on speech
There have been very much larger assaults by Islamist extremists in France, including repeated attacks on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and the 2015 Bataclan massacre
Paty was teaching a course in ethics in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in the Paris suburbs
he showed cartoons from Charlie Hebdo that many Muslims regard as blasphemous
and for which many staff members had been murdered five years earlier
He cautioned the students beforehand and said that if they were uncomfortable seeing the caricatures
they need not stay in class or else they could simply look away
One 13-year-old student had missed the class because she had been suspended from school for two days for repeated absence and rudeness
she made up a garbled version of what she had heard had happened in Paty's class and said that he had insulted Islam
Those currently on trial are charged with having have helped or provoked Anzorov
free speech and legal culpability become more complex
Steve Scalise and particularly Donald Trump were shot
there were allegations that the shooters were responding to wild accusations made by political opponents
But these claims were usually partisan ploys rather than serious arguments
America's robust free speech laws safeguard such wild speech
there are statements that are given lesser or no protection by the First Amendment
and these include speech integral to other illegal conduct
The charges in the current French trial maintain that the accused engaged in precisely this type of speech so that they might face similar charges if they were in America
although they could call on a wider range of defenses
has far more stringent restrictions on speech than does the U.S.
even in the heated atmosphere surrounding a terrorist murder
calling someone a blasphemer will be seen as a criminal act
Read in Religion Unplugged.
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History teacher stabbed and decapitated near his school in a Paris suburb in 2020 in case that shocked France
Eight people have gone on trial in Paris for their alleged role in events leading to the beheading of the history teacher Samuel Paty in 2020
a case that horrified France and heightened fears of terrorist attacks on schools
Paty, 47, was stabbed and then decapitated near his secondary school in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, by Abdoullakh Anzorov, a radicalised 18-year-old who arrived in France aged six with his Chechen parents and had been granted asylum
killed Paty after messages spread on social media that the teacher had shown his class cartoons of the prophet Muhammad from the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo
Seven men and one woman appeared in Paris’s special criminal court on Monday
They included friends of Anzorov who are accused of helping purchase weapons for the attack
as well as people who are accused of spreading false information online about the teacher and his class
contributing to a climate of hatred before the attack
a 52-year-old Moroccan man who worked in transport for people with disabilities
appeared in court after spending four years in jail on remand
He is the father of a schoolgirl in Paty’s class who was aged 13 at the time of the attack and is central to the case
She claimed Paty had asked Muslim students to identify themselves and leave his classroom before showing caricatures of the prophet Muhammad
The claim was false and she later told investigators she was not in the classroom that day
Chnina’s daughter was last year convicted for making false allegations and given an 18-month suspended prison sentence in a trial held behind closed doors in the juvenile court
are accused of launching an online campaign against Paty
the two men spread the daughter’s lies on social networks with the aim of “designating a target”
“provoking a feeling of hatred” and “thus preparing several crimes”
They are being tried for participation in a criminal terrorist act
Paty is now regarded as a hero of free speech by the French authorities and his school is being renamed after him
He had made references to Charlie Hebdo magazine and cartoons of the prophet as part of an ethics class to discuss free speech laws in France
Paty told students beforehand that they were not obliged to look at the cartoons if they did not want to
Weeks before the class, Charlie Hebdo had republished the cartoons, having first published them in 2012. In 2015, radicalised gunmen stormed its Paris office
killing 11 people inside and a police officer outside
in coordinated terrorist attacks that also resulted in a second police officer being killed and four hostages murdered at a kosher supermarket
Two young friends of Anzorov appeared in court on charges of “complicity in terrorist murder”
are accused of having accompanied Anzorov to a knife shop in the northern city of Rouen the day before the attack
Their lawyers have denied they had any “complicity” in the crime
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who were aged between 14 and 15 at the time
were found guilty of criminal conspiracy with intent to cause violence in a trial at the juvenile court last year
They were found guilty of having helped point out Paty to Anzorov when he asked who the teacher was
They said they never thought it would lead to his murder
was killed outside his school days after showing his class cartoons of the prophet Muhammad
Eight people have been convicted in a French anti-terrorism court of involvement in the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty outside his school four years ago
Paty, 47, was killed outside his school near Paris on 16 October 2020, days after showing his class cartoons of the prophet Muhammad during a debate on free expression
Those who have been on trial on terrorism charges at a special court in Paris since the end of November are accused, in some cases, of providing assistance to the perpetrator and, in others, of organising a hate campaign online before the murder took place.
The 540-seat courtroom in central Paris was packed for the verdict, which marked the final chapter of the Paty trial. The atmosphere became charged as the lead judge delivered the sentences.
Families of the accused, seated on the benches, reacted strongly – there were gasps, cries, shouts, and even ironic clapping erupted, prompting the judge to pause several times and call for silence.
Prosecutors requested sentences ranging from 18 months suspended imprisonment to 16 years in prison against the defendants. They include friends of assailant Abdoullakh Anzorov who allegedly helped buy weapons for the attack and the father of a schoolgirl whose lies started the fatal spiral of events.
Read moreThe national anti-terrorism prosecutor had asked the court to downgrade the offences of four of the eight defendants
“It’s more than a disappointment,” Paty’s sister Mickaëlle had told broadcaster TF1
it feels like one is fighting for nothing.”
the public prosecutor dropped the charge of complicity in favour of a lower charge of association with a terrorist enterprise against the two young men accused of providing logistical support to the killer
He asked for 14 years in prison for Naïm Boudaoud and 16 years for Azim Epsirkhanov
The attack occurred against a backdrop of protests in many Muslim countries and calls online for violence targeting France and the satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo
The newspaper had republished its caricatures of the prophet Muhammad a few weeks before Paty’s death to mark the opening of the trial over deadly 2015 attacks on its newsroom by Islamic extremists
The cartoon images deeply offended many Muslims
But the fallout from Paty’s killing reinforced the French state’s commitment to freedom of expression and its firm attachment to secularism in public life
Much attention at the trial focused on Brahim Chnina, the Muslim father of a teenager who was 13 at the time and claimed that she had been excluded from Paty’s class when he showed the caricatures on 5 October 2020
sent a series of messages to his contacts denouncing Paty
saying that “this sick man” needed to be fired
along with the address of the school in the Paris suburb of Conflans Saint-Honorine
Chnina’s daughter had lied to him and had never attended the lesson in question
Paty was giving a lesson mandated by the National Education Ministry on freedom of expression
He discussed the caricatures in this context
saying students who did not wish to see them could temporarily leave the classroom
An online campaign against Paty snowballed
Anzorov attacked the teacher with a knife as he walked home
and displayed the teacher’s head on social media
Police later shot Anzorov as he advanced toward them
Chnina is accused of alleged association with a terrorist enterprise for targeting the 47-year-old teacher through false information
The public prosecutor requested a sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment for him
His daughter was tried last year in a juvenile court and given an 18-month suspended sentence
Four other students at Paty’s school were found guilty of involvement and given suspended sentences; a fifth was given a sixth-month term with an electronic bracelet
Some of the defendants expressed regrets and claimed their innocence on the eve of the verdict
“It’s something that really shocks the family,” lawyer Virginie Le Roy said
“You get the feeling that those in the box are absolutely unwilling to admit any responsibility whatsoever
I have to make a more than mixed assessment
We haven’t had many explanations of the facts.”
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Polish authorities have not completely ruled out Russian involvement in the spread of Legionnaires’ disease
The murderer had clearly identified with the HTS group and its activities
he described the HTS group on Snapchat as “the best group today to join” to wage “the real Jihad.”
Anzorov took the time to send one of his contacts a photo of the decapitated man’s head on Instagram
now I’m going to wage jihad in France
To which his interlocutor replied: “Allah Akbar
mercy and blessing of Allah be upon you.” Anzorov didn’t have the time to get the answer as he was shot dead by the police
denied having expressly ordered the assassination of Samuel Paty
but did not condemn Anzorov’s action
which it felt was justified by the French government’s policy of provocation:
we do not know the Chechen student and his act is the responsibility of the French President
who has provoked and accused Islam in most of his speeches
The student lived in France and his interactions are more important with his direct environment
What he did is the result of what is happening in France and not in Idlib
Two of Anzorov’s friends now on trial in Paris
were also linked to HTS propagandists on social networks.
Eight charged in connection with murder of Samuel Paty in Paris suburbs in 2020
It was a killing that started with a lie. In October 2020
an Islamist terrorist tracked down and decapitated secondary school teacher Samuel Paty as he left school on the last day before half-term holidays
had been the subject of an intense campaign of online harassment sparked when a 13-year-old student claimed he had discriminated against his Muslim pupils during a class on moral and civic education
The girl told her father Paty had instructed Muslim students to leave the classroom at the Bois-d’Aulne secondary school at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in the Paris suburbs while he showed students caricatures of the prophet Muhammad from the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo
the girl was not in Paty’s class that day and had made up the story to cover the fact she had been suspended from school for bad behaviour
Paty had used the images as part of an ethics class to discuss free speech laws in France and the question of “dilemmas”
He posed the question “to be or not to be Charlie?”
referring to the #JeSuisCharlie hashtag used to express support for the paper after a terrorist attack on its offices in January 2015 that killed 12 people
But Paty had not ordered any children to leave the room – instead he had told them they could turn away if they thought they would be offended by the images
The teenager could not have known that the story she told her father would spark a chain of events that would lead an 18-year-old Chechen
to travel 100km (62 miles) from his home in Normandy to kill the teacher after her furious father posted the lie on social media
View image in fullscreenA candle placed at a vigil for Samuel Paty outside the French embassy in Berlin in October 2020
will be one of eight adults – seven men and a woman – on trial in connection with the murder
Chnina is accused of association with a terrorist organisation after allegedly launching a social media campaign against Paty
including publishing videos online attacking Paty and designating him as a target by giving precise information about his identity and place of work
Prosecutors say Chnina was in contact with Anzorov nine times before the killing
founder of the pro-Hamas Sheikh Yassine collective in France
which was dissolved by the government after the murder
is accused of participating in the preparation of a video presenting “false and distorted information intended to arouse hatred” towards Paty
he told police he would never have posted the video had he imagined there was “one billionth of a chance” of provoking the teacher’s killing
he said he and Chnina were calling for disciplinary sanctions against Paty
His lawyers describe the charge against him as an “intellectual and judicial aberration”
arguing there is no proof of contact between him and Anzorov
Six others are charged with association with a criminal terrorist group and risk up to 30 years in jail if convicted
Two of Anzorov’s friends have been charged with complicity in Paty’s murder
the most serious charge carrying a 30-year prison sentence
Chnina’s daughter, whose story sparked the tragedy, and five other former students aged between 13 and 15 at the time of the killing, were tried last year. Chnina’s daughter received an 18-month suspended sentence for making “slanderous and false accusations”.
The five other teenagers were found guilty of criminal conspiracy with intent to cause violence. The girl, who had been suspended from school because of repeatedly failing to attend lessons, was reported to have told police she lied because she wanted to avoid disappointing her father.
Read more“She would not have dared to confess to her father the real reasons for her exclusion shortly before the tragedy, which was in fact linked to her bad behaviour,” Le Parisien reported
Chnina subsequently shared a video on Facebook in which he denounced Paty and called for him to be sacked from the secondary school
A second video posted on social media accused Paty of “discrimination”
Chnina complained to the school and the police
claiming Paty was guilty of “diffusing a pornographic image” and was “Islamophobic”
The issue snowballed on social media; 10 days later
pointed out the route he took on leaving the school and recruited other students to keep an eye out for the teacher
Anzorov, 18, a radicalised Islamist who had arrived in France aged six with his Chechen parents and had been granted asylum, was shot dead by police after the incident.
The town of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine is a civil party in the case
the murder resonates as an attack on freedom
Brosse said: “Samuel Paty embodied the values of our Republic
he sought to awaken the critical spirit of his pupils
He showed them the importance of debating ideas
The school will be named the Samuel Paty School from next year
This article was amended on 4 November 2024
An earlier version referred to Samuel Paty as a “professor” when secondary school teacher was meant
Also a misspelling of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine was fixed
This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025
The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media
Sylheti and Bengali and conversational in Urdu and Hindi
either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter
or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources
Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content
The trial of eight individuals accused of assisting the Islamic extremist who murdered French history teacher Samuel Paty is nearing its conclusion
with verdicts set to be delivered on Friday
The murder of Paty reignited debates about freedom of expression and secularism
values central to France's national identity
The attack occurred in the context of wider global protests
particularly following the republication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad by the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in 2020
were at the heart of the controversy that led to Paty's death
Paty, a 47-year-old educator, was murdered outside his school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
The attack occurred just days after he showed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a lesson on free speech
was shot dead by police shortly after the attack
The accused, on trial since late November, face terrorism-related charges ranging from providing logistic support to the killer to inciting violence online in the lead-up to the murder
Some of the defendants are accused of participating in a hate campaign that contributed to the climate of animosity around Paty's teaching
while others allegedly aided Anzorov in preparing for the attack
Prosecutors have requested sentences ranging from 18 months of suspended imprisonment to 16 years in prison
Among those facing charges is Brahim Chnina
the father of a student who falsely claimed to have been excluded from Paty's class when the cartoons were shown
Chnina's online campaign against the teacher
fueled by his daughter's misleading account
is said to have played a critical role in inciting hatred toward Paty
He faces a 10-year sentence for his alleged association with a terrorist enterprise
Another key figure in the trial is Abdelhakim Sefrioui
a self-proclaimed spokesperson for Imams of France
Prosecutors have called for a 12-year sentence for Sefrioui
citing his role in orchestrating the hate campaign against the teacher
While some defendants have expressed regret
the Paty family has rejected their apologies
Paty's sister Mickaelle Paty told AFP: "I think my brother died for nothing," adding that teachers were still being targeted by violence and threats
Prosecutor Marine Valentin was reported in France 24 as saying: the accused had been "fully aware" of Anzorov's "jihadist convictions" when they helped him
The court will now prepare to deliver its verdicts
the lingering impact of Paty's death continues to reverberate through French society
with many schools now honoring his memory in the wake of the event
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Planetologist Carol Paty helped develop tools to look for an ocean on a Jovian moon
“That idea of understanding the habitability or characterizing the subsurface ocean in terms of the thickness of the ocean
how deep beneath the ice shell the ocean is,” Paty said
“is all going to be important for determining whether or not that subsurface ocean is a habitable environment
a place that could have harbored the evolution of life.”
Paty’s research involves creating models to help provide context for and interpret observational data
specifically in terms of quantifying the influence of Jupiter’s magnetic field on Europa
“Electrons and ions feel changes in magnetic fields
and the motion of those charged particles in the conductor is going to generate a current
whether the conductor is a copper pipe or a subsurface ocean on Europa,” Paty explained
The data from Europa Clipper will help scientists understand the depth and salinity of the subsurface ocean
as well as where Europa’s icy surface layer ends and the subsurface ocean begins
“There are droves of scientists who would love to land on Europa
drill through the ice and really get to that subsurface ocean to put a little submarine down there and measure the heck out of it and see if we find black smokers and things like we see in the deep oceans on Earth,” Paty explained
“But the thickness of the ice matters,” she said
“We don't have the capability to drill through 30 kilometers of ice
Do we have the capability to drill through five kilometers of ice
“So the question of the ice shell’s thickness is one that we're all going to be really excited to figure out.”
Paty noted the mission builds on decades of space exploration
She has used data and observations from past space missions to Jupiter
along with comparisons to observations of Earth and other planets and moons
to help focus Europa Clipper’s inquisitive instrumentation
Paty’s specialty is in space physics and planetary magnetic fields
She develops simulations to interpret observational data and understand the underlying physics
"I love looking around the solar system trying to understand these diverse planetary systems
and through comparative planetology we can take what we learn from observing different planets and moons and then apply it to places we’ve yet to explore in detail,” she said
“It can shed new light and bring perspective to new places or even to places we've visited decades earlier.”
Following a four-day delay due to Hurricane Milton
the Europa Clipper spacecraft lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center on Monday
Check the links below to see a video of the launch and keep track of the mission
Europa Clipper mission website Watch the launch on YouTube
uonews@uoregon.edu
She grew up on the Hudson River in Cornwall
Paty has spent the last 20 years living and owning a home in Ulster County which she fell in love with while earning a degree at SUNY New Paltz
Paty's more than 30 years in the Hudson Valley broadcast industry has given her the privilege of experiencing some of the best places
Paty can be found spending her free time hunting down antiques
enjoying a meal at a local Hudson Valley restaurant
and an avid wildlife supporter with a belief in a sustainable future for our area of New York
A Republican Guard holds a portrait of Samuel Paty in the courtyard of the Sorbonne university during a national memorial event
French President Emmanuel Macron leaves after paying his respects by the coffin of slain teacher Samuel Paty in the courtyard of the Sorbonne university during a national memorial event
People hold a photo of the history teacher Samuel Paty
Those who have been on trial on terrorism charges at a special court in Paris since the end of November were accused
of providing assistance to the perpetrator and
of organizing a hate campaign online before the murder took place
The 540-seat courtroom was packed for the verdict
which marked the final chapter of the Paty trial
with more than 50 police officers guarding the proceedings
Seated in the front row was Paty’s 9-year-old son
as she addressed a crowd of reporters after the verdict
“Hearing the word ‘guilty’ — that’s what I needed.”
“I spent this week listening to a lot of rewriting of what happened
but now the judge has stated what really happened
her voice breaking as tears filled her eyes
Families of the accused reacted with gasps
prompting the judge to pause multiple times and call for silence
“They lied about my brother,” shouted one relative
“They took my baby from me,” before being escorted out by police officers
The seven-judge panel met or went above most of the terms requested by prosecutors
citing “the exceptional gravity of the facts.”
were convicted of complicity in murder and sentenced to 16 years in prison each
Neither can be paroled for two thirds of their term
Boudaoud was accused of driving the attacker to the school
while Epsirkhanov helped him procure weapons
the Muslim father of the schoolgirl whose lies sparked the events leading to Paty’s death
was sentenced to 13 years for association with a terrorist enterprise
was given 15 years for organizing a hate campaign online against Paty
The shocking death of the 47-year-old teacher left an indelible mark on France
The defendants were accused of assisting a perpetrator or organizing a hate campaign online in lead-up to the murder
claimed that she had been excluded from Paty’s class when he showed the caricatures on Oct
Chnina sent a series of messages to his contacts denouncing Paty
Paty was teaching a class mandated by the National Education Ministry on freedom of expression
and displayed the teacher’s head in a post on social media
Police later fatally shot Anzorov as he advanced toward them
had presented himself as a spokesperson for Imams of France although he had been dismissed from that role
He had filmed a video in front of the school with the father of the student
He referred to the teacher as a “thug” multiple times and sought to pressure the school administration via social media
“It’s something that really shocks the family,” lawyer Virginie Le Roy said ahead of the verdicts
“You get the feeling that those in the box are absolutely unwilling to admit any responsibility whatsoever.”
but explanations are precious to us,” Le Roy said
“We haven’t had many explanations of the facts.”
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The two murders committed by radicalized Islamists make it clear that public schools can be targeted for their values
Ongoing support from the French government is crucial for teachers to find peace of mind and educate their pupils effectively
Published on October 15, 2024, at 3:10 pm (Paris) 2 min read Lire en français
Four years after the death of Samuel Paty on October 16
and one year after that of Dominique Bernard on October 13
in all high schools and middle schools across France
Commemorating the tragic events of the murders of two teachers by radicalized Islamists is necessary
not only to pay tribute to them but also to affirm the country's support for its teachers and to address the broader implications of these tragedies
which we now understand are not isolated incidents
a history teacher in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
murdered for having displayed cartoons of Muhammad during a lesson on freedom of expression
was compounded by the anger aroused by the failure of the French education system to protect a teacher who had been openly threatened
the institution has made progress: firm instructions to report incidents have been issued and the sharing of information with the police and judicial authorities means that threatening content on social media can be stopped more quickly
"Functional protection," which covers the legal defense of teachers who have been threatened
The previous culture of avoiding controversy in schools is no longer the rule
also added a terrifying collective dimension for teachers
admitted during questioning that he had deliberately targeted the French teacher – his own former teacher – because he taught "one of the subjects in which passion
attachment to the general system of the [French] Republic
of human rights is transmitted." It is now clear that public schools can be targeted for what they represent and teachers can be attacked regardless of what they do
felt by teachers is all the more understandable given that schools are virtually the only institutions responsible for transmitting France's secular ideal
the international situation remains conducive to aggression and provocation
studies Le Monde reported on show that teachers have mobilized to deal with the consequences of these attacks in class
This is a particularly arduous and unprecedented task
as they have to explain to their pupils events that target and upset them
such as freedom to believe or not to believe
This notably includes the 2004 law banning conspicuous religious symbols in public schools
Hysterization of secularism with its anti-Muslim connotations in the political debate or the reduction of secularism to mere prohibitions won't benefit them either
To recover from these brutal and repeated shocks
teachers need long-term and strong support from the French government
This support will enable teachers to find peace of mind and continue with their essential work: protecting schools from Islamist manipulation and educating their pupils effectively as Paty and Bernard did
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version
Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil
Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois
Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil
Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil
Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur
En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte
Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici
Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte
Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez
mais en les utilisant à des moments différents
Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe
Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article
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Ellie Grant
the founder of a pro-Hamas collective in France
has been accused of helping create a video that falsely depicted Samuel Paty
which was part of a broader campaign of misinformation
is alleged to have stirred hatred towards Paty
contributing to the tragic events that followed
The video accused Paty of being a “thug” after he showed caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad during a class on free speech
who had previously been known to French security services for his Islamist activities and antisemitic rhetoric
is now on trial over his alleged involvement in spreading false information about the teacher
He is accused of helping prepare a video designed to incite hostility towards Paty
Sefrioui claimed that he never intended for the video to lead to violence
the father of the teen accused of the murder
were merely calling for disciplinary action against Paty
His defence lawyers calling the charge an “intellectual and judicial aberration,” arguing that there was no proof of direct contact between Sefrioui and the murderer
The chain of events leading to Paty’s murder began with a false accusation by a 13-year-old student
who was not present during the lesson but claimed that Paty had shown the cartoons in an Islamophobic context
which the student later admitted to fabricating
led to a viral social media campaign launched by Chnina
which targeted Paty and is alleged to have spurred Anzorov to murder the teacher
later admitted to her falsehood during court proceedings
apologising tearfully to Paty’s family and stating that she deeply regretted the harm she had caused
She was sentenced to 18 months’ probation for the false accusations
Paty’s murder shocked France and raised serious concerns about the spread of Islamist radicalisation
including Chnina and Sefrioui – who founded the pro-Hamas Sheikh Yassine collective – are now facing charges related to the teacher's death
and their roles in the online harassment campaign are being examined as part of the ongoing trial
The trial is also examining the alleged involvement of Anzorov’s associates
who is accused of assisting in preparing for the attack
who are accused of shared jihadist material with Anzorov
alleged to have supported the murder online
Lawyers representing Paty’s family have said that the trial has shed light on the extent of Islamist infiltration in French society
and they hope the proceedings will serve as a wake-up call to the dangers posed by radical ideologies
France
Courts
Islam
A French court is set to announce its verdict on Friday in the trial of eight individuals charged in connection with the 2020 beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, a case that shook France and reignited debates over free speech and extremism
after showing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in a class on freedom of expression
initially published by Charlie Hebdo magazine
were part of a lesson to discuss French laws protecting free speech
Anzorov was killed in a police shootout shortly after the attack
Paty has since become a symbol of free speech in France
involves seven men and one woman accused of fostering a climate of hatred that led to the attack
face charges ranging from belonging to a terrorist organisation to spreading inflammatory content online
Prosecutors have sought prison sentences ranging from 18 months to 16 years
though the family of Paty has criticised the demands as too lenient
Key figures include Azim Epsirkhanov and Naim Boudaoud
Prosecutors have sought sentences of 16 and 14 years
father of a student who falsely accused Paty of discriminatory behaviour
Both face charges of inciting hatred against the teacher and could receive sentences of up to 12 years
Prosecutors argued that while the defendants may not have intended to directly cause Paty’s death
their actions—especially online—fueled an atmosphere of hostility
The case has underscored tensions in France over free speech
It also comes amidst a backdrop of previous attacks linked to the Charlie Hebdo cartoons
including the 2015 massacre at the magazine’s offices
The court’s decision is expected to leave both sides dissatisfied
Paty’s family has called for harsher penalties
while defence lawyers argue the charges lack evidence of terrorist intent
marks a significant moment in France’s ongoing struggle to balance its secular values with its diverse religious communities
a former close associate of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and a notable…
The TimesAn Islamist terrorist who beheaded a teacher in France was praised after the murder by a member of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
exchanged messages with an HTS propagandist in Syria minutes after decapitating Samuel Paty
outside Paty’s school in the Paris region in 2020
Paty was killed after an online campaign against him that was whipped up by a radical Muslim cleric and the father of one of his pupils
He had shown cartoons of the prophet Muhammad to his secondary school class
The cleric and the pupil’s father are now among eight people on trial in Paris
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By the abstraction of the linearity that develops, the resulting interiority is intended to be faithful. The services are provided according to the curve of the roof and always in contact with the same mineral materiality, counterbalanced by wooden support elements.
Site planBy passing through these first corridors, classrooms develop at a generous height that is fully open to the playgrounds. Thus, the interior life is translated into a lightness and porosity specific to the reception and supervision of children. At the top of the large metal gantries, the inner part of the primary school is sequenced. The glazed frames are positioned for filling according to this structural framework and a sheet metal roof covers the learning areas.
© Cyrille WeinerOn the one hand, the preschool reception, bathed in light, directs the families to the classrooms and offers a wide view of the heart of the school: the playground. On the other, the primary school reception is planned as a mezzanine on the primary school corridor. Double-height work and play on levels have brought energy to this place of meeting and exchange.
© Cyrille WeinerLocated directly in connection with the school's two reception halls, the principal's office has a wide field of vision across the internal square. Its position is strategic, to allow contact with families, and also ensures safety within the school complex. Around this office, the administrative centre of the primary school and the RASED (Network of specialised support for students in difficulty) are organised.
It is generous and offers views of both the city and the courtyards across the classrooms
this space of distribution and exchange has a non-insulated external concrete facade that leaves the tinted concrete of the facades visible on both sides
All the acoustic and thermal insulation and the network paths are located in a second interior facade located between the classroom and the corridors
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The Sunday TimesIt was one of the most shocking murders in recent French history
was beheaded near his school in a sleepy town west of Paris by a Chechen-born Islamist in the culmination of an extraordinary campaign of online harassment against him
who triggered the outpouring of hate against Paty with mistaken claims of discrimination against his 13-year-old daughter
Prosecutors accuse the Algerian-born father of five of being part of a criminal terrorist conspiracy that could see him jailed for 30 years
They have described him and Abdelhakim Sefrioui
as an “infernal duo” who should have realised that by denouncing
A French court hearing into the tragic 2020 murder of history teacher Samuel Paty has revealed the devastating consequences of a lie
A Muslim schoolgirl admitted to fabricating claims of Islamophobia against Paty
which incited a chain of events culminating in his brutal beheading by a jihadist
Speaking through tears, the girl, who was 13 at the time of the murder, apologised to Paty's family, saying, "I apologise for my lie that brought us all back here... Without me, no one would be here," per a report from the Daily Mail
was a history and geography teacher at a school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
decapitated Paty outside the school after being incited by an online campaign accusing Paty of disrespecting Islam
The campaign began when the schoolgirl falsely claimed that Paty had asked Muslim students to leave the classroom before showing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad during an ethics class
originally published by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo
were part of a lesson discussing freedom of expression and the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack
he had warned his class in advance and offered those who might find the images offensive the chance to look away
the girl making the allegations was not even present in the classroom that day
Fearing her parents' anger after being suspended for misbehaviour
the girl invented the story to justify her actions
amplified the false claims by launching an online campaign accusing Paty of Islamophobia
Videos shared by Chnina gained significant traction
Chnina's accusations caught the attention of Abdelhakim Sefrioui
labelling him as a threat to the Muslim community
Investigators revealed that between 9 and 13 October 2020
Chnina spoke with Anzorov multiple times by phone
Anzorov, motivated by the misinformation
travelled over 60 miles to confront and murder Paty
the schoolgirl expressed remorse for her role in the events
I'm sorry for destroying your life," she said
explained her fear at the time of the incident
"I wanted to tell my parents that it was false
she continued to lie during police interrogations
only confessing the truth after 30 hours of questioning
the girl was sentenced to an 18-month suspended sentence for her false allegations
The current trial in Paris involves eight defendants accused of contributing to the climate of hatred that led to Paty's murder
Chnina and Sefrioui face charges of associating with a terrorist organisation
Both men deny intending to incite violence
with Sefrioui claiming he sought only administrative sanctions against Paty
including a Turkish national and a Russian of Chechen origin
posted an image of Paty's severed head with smiley faces after the killing
are accused of complicity in terrorist murder
Prosecutors allege that they accompanied Anzorov to purchase weapons and supplies the day before the attack
The TimesEight people have gone on trial in Paris on terrorism charges in connection with the beheading of Samuel Paty
who showed pupils caricatures of the prophet Muhammad after their publication in Charlie Hebdo
In an attack that horrified France in 2020
an 18-year-old Chechen refugee killed Paty
near a secondary school in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
Abdoullakh Anzorov, the killer who was shot dead by police, had arrived in France aged six with his parents
His attack came after the teacher was vilified on social media over his use of the cartoons from the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in an ethics class
After the paper published the caricatures in 2015
Islamist terrorists killed 12 people in an attack on its
On October 6th, 2020 in a school outside Paris, teacher Samuel Paty gave a lesson on freedom of speech – the same lesson he had given several times before which involved showing drawings of the prophet Muhammad – to a class of teenagers.
The next day, one of his pupils – a 13-year-old girl – was asked by her father why she was not going to school. She told him she had been disciplined because she dared to stand up to Paty when he told Muslims to leave the class so he could show a naked picture of the prophet. But she was not even in school that day.
Believing his daughter’s lie, her father took to social media to condemn Paty and the story grew online.
Soon after the teacher was beheaded outside the school in a savage attack that shocked France. The assailant, Abdoullakh Anzorov, the young man of Chechen origin who wielded the knife, is dead – shot by police in the minutes after the attack.
On trial in Paris now are two men accused of identifying Paty as a “blasphemer” over the Internet, two friends of Anzorov who allegedly gave him logistical help, and four others who offered support on chat lines.
As BBC correspondent in Paris, Hugh Schofield explains to In the News that the trial is less about the murder itself, and more about the circumstances that led to it.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.
Bernice Harrison is an Irish Times journalist and cohost of In the News podcast
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In sentencing the two people responsible for the hate campaign against Samuel Paty to 13 and 15 years' imprisonment for terrorism
By Soren Seelow
People standing in front of the Paris special criminal court
ahead of the verdict against eight people linked to the murder of Samuel Paty in 2020
STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP Rarely was the verdict of a terrorist trial so eagerly awaited and scrutinized
Perhaps more than any other terrorist attack
has powerfully highlighted the fragilities and the strengths of a pillar of democracy: freedom of expression
This fundamental right had been the theme of the class that ended up costing the history-geography teacher's life
Yet it was also the right that one of the trial's defendants
citing his "right" to be "shocked" by the cartoons of Muhammad shown in class by the teacher
whom he accused of having "insulted" the prophet
the special criminal court in Paris had to answer an unprecedented question in anti-terrorism matters: Should discourse that does not call for murder
be judged as a terrorist offense when it has provoked a terror attack
this verdict had been expected to reveal the anti-terrorist justice system's capacity to tackle the evolutions of the jihadist threat
and the way it feeds on political Islamism
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Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
A group of journalists hold a protest to demand justice following the murders of two of their colleagues in Colima and Michoacán
outside of the Attorney General’s Office in Chilpancingo
This statement was originally published on cpj.org on 31 October 2024
Mexican authorities must immediately and transparently investigate Wednesday’s killing of journalist Patricia Ramírez González
the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday
“The brutal killing of Paty Bunbury is especially shocking
as it comes less than a day after her colleague Mauricio Cruz was killed,” said Jan-Albert Hootsen
“The killings demonstrate the urgent need for President Sheinbaum to take steps to protect the press from violence.”
According to a statement by the Colima state prosecutor’s office (FGE)
in the eatery she runs in Colima’s state capital as a side job to her work as a journalist
The FGE has not stated whether they’re investigating whether her reporting was a possible motive and did not answer several telephone calls for comment by CPJ
the vice president of local journalists’ association Periodistas Colimenses
told CPJ via telephone that Ramírez did not cover politics
or security and had not reported having received threats
The Facebook page “Noticias Chiapas al ROJO” published the names of 17 journalists active in Tapachula
of working for the alleged leader of a local gang
Breach began receiving threats and pressures due to her reports on violent displacements in the Sierra Tarahumara and her investigations into the connections between drug trafficking groups and local politicians
“It is unacceptable that the authorities in the country with the highest rate of deadly violence against the press on the continent
allow digital harassment of journalists.”
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documented every event during the 10 days that led to the killing of Samuel Paty in October 2020
She is also one of the few witnesses to have met the two men who falsely accused the teacher
In front of the Collège du Bois-d'Aulne
ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT / AFP On Tuesday
the Conflans-Sainte-Honorine secondary school principal
she appeared determined in her black pencil skirt and grey jacket adorned with elbow patches
It quickly became apparent that her testimony before the Paris special criminal court would be sober
methodical and would prove invaluable in understanding the downward spiral that led to the murder of Samuel Paty
who never had the opportunity to meet his accusers
met the two men behind the "fatwa," as she described it
It is also valuable because she took note of all the events that unfolded in the 10 days leading up to the professor's death
when the principal decided to sanction a schoolgirl
with a two-day suspension for repeated "incivilities" and "absences." This sanction had nothing to do with the lesson given the previous day by Paty
But that's not what the girl told her parents
She told them that she had stood up to her teacher
who had allegedly asked the Muslim pupils to leave the classroom before showing images of the "naked" Prophet
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