A French court has convicted eight people tied to the events that led to Samuel Paty’s beheading in 2020 after he showed caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad to his students. Eight people, including two friends of the killer and four others who encouraged or glorified his attack online, received prison sentences ranging from one year to 16 years.
The killing of Mr. Paty, a history teacher, was the result of a chain reaction set off by a student’s false accusations against him. The court found Mr. Paty’s father and an activist guilty of spurring the online smear campaign against him by spreading false claims and personal information about him.
The convictions came after a trial that began in November, during which witnesses and investigators described the defendants’ roles in fueling the online hate campaign. President Emmanuel Macron eulogized Mr. Paty as a “quiet hero” after his death, and his family and former partner gave heart-wrenching testimony about his love for teaching and his passion for history.
The court’s decision was met with mixed reactions from the audience, who some called unreasonable and others criticized for bending to pressure from public opinion. The defendants have vowed to appeal the verdict.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/20/world/europe/france-paty-beheading.html