A French court has handed down convictions to six teenagers in connection with the shocking 2020 beheading of history teacher Samuel Paty. Paty's murder sent shockwaves throughout the country and sparked discussions about freedom of expression.

Paty was killed outside his school in 2020 after showing his class cartoons of the prophet Muhammad during a debate on free expression. The attacker, a young Chechen who had been radicalised, was subsequently killed by the police.

On Friday, the court announced its verdict, finding five of the defendants, aged 14 and 15 at the time of the attack, guilty of staking out the teacher and identifying him to the attacker. Another defendant, who was 13 at the time, was found guilty of lying about the classroom debate in a comment that fueled online anger against the teacher.

All six teenagers, who were students at Paty's school, testified that they were unaware that their actions would result in the teacher's death. As a result, they received brief or suspended prison terms, along with mandatory requirements to continue their education or find employment. Regular medical check-ups were also imposed during their suspended terms.

The tragedy unfolded after Paty showed caricatures of the prophet Muhammad, which were initially published by Charlie Hebdo. These cartoons had previously triggered a deadly extremist attack on the satirical newspaper's newsroom in 2015.

Samuel Paty, a dedicated history and geography teacher, lost his life on October 16, 2020, near his school in a Paris suburb. The five defendants who identified Paty to the attacker were convicted of involvement in a group preparing aggravated violence.

The sixth defendant knowingly fabricated a story, falsely claiming that Paty had asked Muslim students to leave the classroom before showing the class the prophet cartoons. However, she was not present in the classroom that day and later admitted to lying during the investigation. She was consequently convicted of making false allegations.

In a disturbing twist, her father shared the fabricated story in an online video, urging others to mobilize against the teacher. He, along with a radical Islamic activist who assisted in spreading hateful messages against Paty, will face a separate trial with eight other adults suspected of involvement in the killing. The trial for the adults is expected to take place in late next year.

The trial proceedings were closed to the public, and according to French law regarding minors, the identity of the defendants cannot be disclosed by the media.

This conviction serves as an important step towards justice for Samuel Paty, highlighting the societal consequences of such horrific acts and the need for vigilance in protecting freedom of expression, while also discouraging the spread of hatred and falsehoods.