### Trial Begins for Eight Accused of Aiding Samuel Paty’s Killer

Eight individuals faced trial in Paris, accused of encouraging the man who murdered Samuel Paty, a teacher beheaded outside his school four years ago. Abdoullakh Anzorov, the attacker who carried out the heinous act, was killed by police shortly after the crime.

The trial, lasting seven weeks, will delve into how a false statement by a 13-year-old girl escalated into an international hate campaign via social media, culminating in a deadly act of vengeance. The accused include two men who allegedly labeled Mr. Paty a "blasphemer" online, two of Anzorov's friends accused of providing logistical assistance, and four others who allegedly offered support through social media platforms.

Samuel Paty's murder shocked and terrified France. On October 6, 2020, he conducted a lesson on freedom of speech for a class of teenagers, which included showing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. He advised students to avert their eyes if they felt offended. The following day, a 13-year-old girl lied to her father, claiming she was disciplined for confronting Mr. Paty, alleging he had told Muslim students to leave the class so he could show an offensive image of the prophet. In reality, she had been absent from the class and was disciplined for unrelated reasons.

The girl’s father, Brahim Chnina, recorded her repeating the false story on video and posted it on Facebook, naming Mr. Paty. Abdelhakim Sefrioui, a local Islamist, further fueled the situation by creating a 10-minute online video titled "Islam and the prophet insulted in a public college." The school soon faced a barrage of threats and hate messages from around the globe.

Anzorov recorded a note on his phone stating: "A teacher has shown his class a picture of the messenger of Allah naked." He sought assistance from two friends, who are now on trial. One allegedly accompanied him to buy a knife, while the other helped him purchase replica pistols on October 16, the day of the attack, and then drove him to the school.

The trial also includes four individuals who conversed with Anzorov on Snapchat and Twitter, allegedly providing him with encouragement. The defendants acknowledge their involvement but deny charges of "terrorist association" or "complicity to commit terrorist murder."

Lawyers for the girl’s father and the Islamist preacher claim that while they publicly condemned Mr. Paty, they did not incite his murder. Similarly, lawyers for Anzorov's friends argue they were unaware of his intentions to carry out a killing.

Prosecutors emphasize the context of Samuel Paty's murder during a period of heightened jihadist threats. Charlie Hebdo had recently re-published controversial cartoons, reigniting Islamist threats against France. To the prosecutors, denouncing Mr. Paty for blasphemy in this climate was equivalent to designating a terrorist target.

A year ago, the girl at the center of the case was convicted in a minors' court for making false accusations and received a suspended prison sentence.