Latest news with #Miraoui
TimesLIVE
16-06-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
A far-right inspired murder forces France to wrestle with what counts as terrorism
Hichem Miraoui, a 45-year-old Tunisian barber, was at home in the south of France late in May, chatting on the phone with his mother and sisters, when a neighbour drove past and shot him dead on his doorstep. After killing Miraoui and shooting Kurdish neighbour Akif Badur in the hand, Christophe Belgembe posted four videos on Facebook, according to France's anti-terror prosecutor's office, known as PNAT. Bemoaning a state 'unable to protect us, unable to send them home', Belgembe said he had 'taken out two or three pieces of sh*t' and this was only the beginning. Belgembe surrendered to police a few hours later and confessed his guilt, the PNAT said. His lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. Belgembe denied any racist or terrorist motivation but the PNAT charged him with racially motivated, premeditated murder and attempted murder as part of a terrorist undertaking. It was the first time the PNAT, which can take over any criminal investigation it believes meets the criteria for terrorism, has investigated a murder inspired by far-right ideas. Terrorism sentences are tougher, and counter-terrorism forces have greater investigative powers. The PNAT's move is indicative of a broader shift in France, where jihadist attacks have fallen while racist, xenophobic or antireligious crimes are up 11% compared with last year amid growing support for the far-right. In one of his post-attack videos, Belgembe expressed support for the far-right National Rally (RN), France's largest parliamentary party, according to a source who had seen the video but was not authorised to speak publicly about it. RN spokesperson Laurent Jacobelli did not respond to a request for comment on the video. On X, RN chief Marine Le Pen said the PNAT's decision to probe Miraoui's killing would shed light on this 'heinous murder', which appeared to be 'racist'. Each time there is a murder of this sort, it should be considered a terrorist act, as it is done to instil terror in our communities. Azzedine Gaci, a Moslem cleric Miraoui's family, Muslim leaders and antiracism groups welcomed the decision to investigate Belgembe under terrorism laws but said French authorities had been slow to view far-right crimes as terrorism. 'Even if it's late, it's welcome,' said Azzedine Gaci, a rector for a large mosque near Lyon. 'Each time there is a murder of this sort, it should be considered a terrorist act, as it is done to instil terror in our communities.' The PNAT declined to comment on accusations it had been slow to classify far-right violence as terrorism. However, it told Reuters that it has taken on 15 other cases involving far-right suspects since its creation in 2019. None of them were homicides. Jean-Louis Bruguiere, a former antiterrorism judge who helped create the PNAT, told Reuters that France's polarised politics 'pollute the debate' around how to classify such crimes. He said the PNAT preferred 'to exercise extreme caution' by only picking strong cases. Thousands protested across France in April after the murder of Aboubakar Cisse, a 22-year-old Malian who was stabbed to death in a mosque by an intruder who insulted Islam as he filmed the act, calling for his killing to be probed as terrorism. The PNAT declined to take Cisse's case. It also declined to investigate a 2022 shooting at a Kurdish centre in Paris in which three people died, sparking criticism from human rights activists and France's Kurdish community. The PNAT declined to say why it did not take up Cisse's murder or the Kurdish centre attack. However, Nimes Prosecutor Cecile Gensac, whose office took Cisse's case, said the PNAT declined to investigate as the killer had no ideology and only acted out of 'an obsessive desire to kill'. In a 2023 PNAT decision seen by Reuters, it said that while the Kurdish centre attacker had a 'hatred of foreigners', he did not appear to be driven by any ideology and no evidence of far-right links was found at his home. Bruguiere defended the PNAT's decision to investigate Miraoui's murder, saying that even if Belgembe had acted alone, he viewed his act within a larger ideological framework 'that transcends the act itself'. Under French law, terrorism is a crime where the author has the 'goal of seriously disturbing public order through intimidation or terror'. Olivier Cahn, a law professor at Cergy-Paris University, said some of the PNAT's previous decisions underlined how open to interpretation France's definition of terrorism is. 'Terrorism is not the act,' he said. 'Terrorism is whatever the PNAT says is terrorism.' The PNAT did not respond to a request for comment on Cahn's remarks. The PNAT investigated 66 cases of jihadist terrorism last year, down nearly a third compared with 2019. Meanwhile, racism is rising, according to a 2024 report from France's human rights commission. There were 79 anti-Muslim acts recorded by the interior ministry between January and March, a 72% rise compared to the same period in 2024. Belgembe and his victims lived in Puget-sur-Argens, a town in a southeastern region of France that has long been a stronghold of far-right support. In last year's legislative elections, the RN won nearly 60% of votes in the town. Badur, the Kurdish neighbour who was shot in the hand, said his only conversation with Belgembe involved being asked about his nationality and residency status. An activist with the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP), Badur said he left Turkey two years ago for fear of imprisonment. 'I fled racism in my country, only to face racism here,' he said.
AsiaOne
16-06-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
A far-right inspired murder forces France to wrestle with what counts as terrorism, World News
PUGET-SUR-ARGENS, France — Hichem Miraoui, a 45-year-old Tunisian barber, was at home in the south of France late in May, chatting on the phone with his mother and sisters, when a neighbour drove past and shot him dead on his doorstep. After killing Miraoui and shooting Kurdish neighbour Akif Badur in the hand, Christophe Belgembe posted four videos on Facebook, according to France's anti-terror prosecutor's office, known as PNAT. Bemoaning a state "unable to protect us, unable to send them home," Belgembe said he had "taken out two or three pieces of shit" and this was only the beginning. Belgembe surrendered to police a few hours later and confessed his guilt, the PNAT said. His lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. Belgembe denied any racist or terrorist motivation but the PNAT charged him with racially motivated, premeditated murder and attempted murder as part of a terrorist undertaking. It was the first time the PNAT, which can take over any criminal investigation it believes meets the criteria for terrorism, has investigated a murder inspired by far-right ideas. Terrorism sentences are tougher, and counter-terrorism forces have greater investigative powers. The PNAT's move is indicative of a broader shift in France, where jihadist attacks have fallen while racist, xenophobic or anti-religious crimes are up 11 per cent compared with last year amid growing support for the far-right. In one of his post-attack videos, Belgembe expressed support for the far-right National Rally (RN), France's largest parliamentary party, according to a source who had seen the video but was not authorised to speak publicly about it. RN spokesperson Laurent Jacobelli did not respond to a request for comment on the video. On X, RN chief Marine Le Pen said the PNAT's decision to probe Miraoui's killing would shed light on this "heinous murder," which appeared to be "racist." Miraoui's family, Muslim leaders and anti-racism groups welcomed the decision to investigate Belgembe under terrorism laws but said French authorities had been slow to view far-right crimes as terrorism. "Even if it's late, it's welcome," said Azzedine Gaci, a rector for a large mosque near Lyon. "Each time there is a murder of this sort, it should be considered a terrorist act, as it is done to instil terror in our communities." The PNAT declined to comment on accusations it had been slow to classify far-right violence as terrorism. However, it told Reuters that it has taken on 15 other cases involving far-right suspects since its creation in 2019. None of them were homicides. Jean-Louis Bruguiere, a former anti-terrorism judge who helped create the PNAT, told Reuters that France's polarised politics "pollute the debate" around how to classify such crimes. He said the PNAT preferred "to exercise extreme caution" by only picking strong cases. Debate on defining terrorism under French law Thousands protested across France in April after the murder of Aboubakar Cisse, a 22-year-old Malian who was stabbed to death in a mosque by an intruder who insulted Islam as he filmed the act, calling for his killing to be probed as terrorism. The PNAT declined to take Cisse's case. It also declined to investigate a 2022 shooting at a Kurdish centre in Paris in which three people died, sparking criticism from human rights activists and France's Kurdish community. The PNAT declined to say why it did not take up Cisse's murder or the Kurdish centre attack. However, Nimes Prosecutor Cecile Gensac, whose office took Cisse's case, said the PNAT declined to investigate as the killer had no ideology and only acted out of "an obsessive desire to kill". In a 2023 PNAT decision seen by Reuters, it said that while the Kurdish centre attacker had a "hatred of foreigners", he did not appear to be driven by any ideology and no evidence of far-right links was found at his home. Bruguiere defended the PNAT's decision to investigate Miraoui's murder, saying that even if Belgembe had acted alone, he viewed his act within a larger ideological framework "that transcends the act itself." Under French law, terrorism is a crime where the author has the "goal of seriously disturbing public order through intimidation or terror." Olivier Cahn, a law professor at Cergy-Paris University, said some of the PNAT's previous decisions underlined how open to interpretation France's definition of terrorism is. "Terrorism is not the act," he said. "Terrorism is whatever the PNAT says is terrorism." The PNAT did not respond to a request for comment on Cahn's remarks. Rising racism The PNAT investigated 66 cases of jihadist terrorism last year, down nearly a third compared with 2019. Meanwhile, racism is rising, according to a 2024 report from France's human rights commission. There were 79 anti-Muslim acts recorded by the interior ministry between January and March 2025, a 72 per cent rise compared to the same period in 2024. Belgembe and his victims lived in Puget-sur-Argens, a town in a southeastern region of France that has long been a stronghold of far-right support. In last year's legislative elections, the RN won nearly 60 per cent of votes in the town. Badur, the Kurdish neighbour who was shot in the hand, said his only conversation with Belgembe involved being asked about his nationality and residency status. An activist with the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP), Badur said he left Turkey two years ago for fear of imprisonment. "I fled racism in my country, only to face racism here," he said. [[nid:719130]]
The Star
16-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
A far-right inspired murder forces France to wrestle with what counts as terrorism
PUGET-SUR-ARGENS, France (Reuters) -Hichem Miraoui, a 45-year-old Tunisian barber, was at home in the south of France late in May, chatting on the phone with his mother and sisters, when a neighbour drove past and shot him dead on his doorstep. After killing Miraoui and shooting Kurdish neighbour Akif Badur in the hand, Christophe Belgembe posted four videos on Facebook, according to France's anti-terror prosecutor's office, known as PNAT. Bemoaning a state "unable to protect us, unable to send them home," Belgembe said he had "taken out two or three pieces of s***" and this was only the beginning. Belgembe surrendered to police a few hours later and confessed his guilt, the PNAT said. His lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. Belgembe denied any racist or terrorist motivation but the PNAT charged him with racially motivated, premeditated murder and attempted murder as part of a terrorist undertaking. It was the first time the PNAT, which can take over any criminal investigation it believes meets the criteria for terrorism, has investigated a murder inspired by far-right ideas. Terrorism sentences are tougher, and counter-terrorism forces have greater investigative powers. The PNAT's move is indicative of a broader shift in France, where jihadist attacks have fallen while racist, xenophobic or anti-religious crimes are up 11% compared with last year amid growing support for the far-right. In one of his post-attack videos, Belgembe expressed support for the far-right National Rally (RN), France's largest parliamentary party, according to a source who had seen the video but was not authorized to speak publicly about it. RN spokesperson Laurent Jacobelli did not respond to a request for comment on the video. On X, RN chief Marine Le Pen said the PNAT's decision to probe Miraoui's killing would shed light on this "heinous murder," which appeared to be "racist." Miraoui's family, Muslim leaders and anti-racism groups welcomed the decision to investigate Belgembe under terrorism laws but said French authorities had been slow to view far-right crimes as terrorism. "Even if it's late, it's welcome," said Azzedine Gaci, a rector for a large mosque near Lyon. "Each time there is a murder of this sort, it should be considered a terrorist act, as it is done to instil terror in our communities." The PNAT declined to comment on accusations it had been slow to classify far-right violence as terrorism. However, it told Reuters that it has taken on 15 other cases involving far-right suspects since its creation in 2019. None of them were homicides. Jean-Louis Bruguiere, a former anti-terrorism judge who helped create the PNAT, told Reuters that France's polarized politics "pollute the debate" around how to classify such crimes. He said the PNAT preferred "to exercise extreme caution" by only picking strong cases. DEBATE ON DEFINING TERRORISM UNDER FRENCH LAW Thousands protested across France in April after the murder of Aboubakar Cisse, a 22-year-old Malian who was stabbed to death in a mosque by an intruder who insulted Islam as he filmed the act, calling for his killing to be probed as terrorism. The PNAT declined to take Cisse's case. It also declined to investigate a 2022 shooting at a Kurdish centre in Paris in which three people died, sparking criticism from human rights activists and France's Kurdish community. The PNAT declined to say why it did not take up Cisse's murder or the Kurdish centre attack. However, Nimes Prosecutor Cecile Gensac, whose office took Cisse's case, said the PNAT declined to investigate as the killer had no ideology and only acted out of "an obsessive desire to kill". In a 2023 PNAT decision seen by Reuters, it said that while the Kurdish centre attacker had a "hatred of foreigners", he did not appear to be driven by any ideology and no evidence of far-right links was found at his home. Bruguiere defended the PNAT's decision to investigate Miraoui's murder, saying that even if Belgembe had acted alone, he viewed his act within a larger ideological framework "that transcends the act itself." Under French law, terrorism is a crime where the author has the "goal of seriously disturbing public order through intimidation or terror." Olivier Cahn, a law professor at Cergy-Paris University, said some of the PNAT's previous decisions underlined how open to interpretation France's definition of terrorism is. "Terrorism is not the act," he said. "Terrorism is whatever the PNAT says is terrorism." The PNAT did not respond to a request for comment on Cahn's remarks. RISING RACISM The PNAT investigated 66 cases of jihadist terrorism last year, down nearly a third compared with 2019. Meanwhile, racism is rising, according to a 2024 report from France's human rights commission. There were 79 anti-Muslim acts recorded by the interior ministry between January and March 2025, a 72% rise compared to the same period in 2024. Belgembe and his victims lived in Puget-sur-Argens, a town in a southeastern region of France that has long been a stronghold of far-right support. In last year's legislative elections, the RN won nearly 60% of votes in the town. Badur, the Kurdish neighbour who was shot in the hand, said his only conversation with Belgembe involved being asked about his nationality and residency status. An activist with the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP), Badur said he left Turkey two years ago for fear of imprisonment. "I fled racism in my country, only to face racism here," he said. (Reporting by Layli Foroudi in Puget-sur-Argens and Juliette Jabkhiro in Paris; editing by Gabriel Stargardter and Jon Boyle)
France 24
05-06-2025
- Politics
- France 24
French suspect in racist killing of Tunisian neighbour to appear before anti-terrorism judge
A Frenchman accused of murdering his Tunisian neighbour in the south of France will appear before an anti-terrorism judge on Thursday, the national anti-terror prosecutor's office said. Christophe B. is accused of killing Hichem Miraoui in an attack that sparked alarm over rising racism in France and Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau described as 'racist' and 'perhaps also a terrorist crime'. Anti-terrorism prosecutors, known by their French acronym PNAT, have taken over the case – the first time a far-right racist attack has been treated as a 'terrorist' offence since the unit was created in 2019. Christophe B., a French national in his 50s, shot and killed Miraoui, a Tunisian man in his 40s, on Saturday in the southern town of Puget-sur-Argens before wounding another neighbour, a Turkish national. He posted racist videos on social media both before and after the attack, according to regional prosecutor Pierre Couttenier. Swore allegiance to French flag A source close to the case told AFP that, unlike jihadist attacks often linked to state-designated 'terrorist' organisations like the Islamic State group, far-right attacks are assessed on a case-by-case basis, as they typically lack connections to such organisations. The decision to refer them to the anti-terror prosecutors depends on the suspect's profile, the severity of the act, and whether there was a clear intent to seriously disrupt public order through intimidation or terror. Christophe B. wanted to 'disrupt public order through terror', according to a source close to the case. According to French daily Le Parisien, the suspect said he 'swore allegiance to the French flag' and called on the French to 'shoot' people of foreign origin in one of his videos posted on social media. Political and religious leaders have sounded the alarm over growing anti-Muslim acts in France, which increased by 72 percent in the first quarter, with 79 recorded cases, according to interior ministry figures. The shooting followed the murder of a Malian man in a mosque in April, also in southern France and the burning of a Koran near Lyon at the weekend. 'Hold promoters accountable' Retailleau said Tuesday that the killing of Miraoui was 'clearly a racist crime', 'probably also anti-Muslim' Chems-Eddine Hafiz, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, called on French President Emmanuel Macron to speak out. 'It is time to hold accountable the promoters of this hatred who, in political and media circles, act with complete impunity and incite extremely serious acts,' said Hafiz. 'Remind people of the reality that we are citizens of this country,' he added. Tributes poured in from shocked neighbours and friends mourning the murder of Miraoui, with more than a dozen bouquets placed outside the barbershop where he worked in the quiet town of Puget-sur-Argens. 'I don't understand why he was killed. Why all this hatred?', said Sylvia Elvasorre, a 65-year-old pensioner who lives next to the hair salon, tears in her eyes. France is home to the largest Muslim community in the European Union, as well as the largest Jewish population outside Israel and the United States. There has also been a rise in reported attacks against members of France's Jewish community since Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 and the Israeli military responded with a devastating military offensive on the Gaza Strip. vandalised with paint on Saturday.
The Sun
05-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Suspect in murder of Tunisian man to appear before French judge: prosecutors
PARIS: A Frenchman accused of murdering his Tunisian neighbour in the south of France will appear before an anti-terrorism judge on Thursday, the national anti-terror prosecutor's office said. Christophe B. is accused of killing Hichem Miraoui in an attack Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has described as both 'racist' and 'probably also anti-Muslim'. Anti-terrorism prosecutors have taken over the case, the first time a far-right racist attack has been treated as a 'terrorist' offence since the unit was created in 2019. The suspect wanted to 'disrupt public order through terror', according to a source close to the case. Christophe B., a French national in his 50s, shot and killed Miraoui, a Tunisian man in his 40s, on Saturday in the southern town of Puget-sur-Argens before wounding another neighbour, a Turkish national. He posted racist videos on social media both before and after the attack, according to regional prosecutor Pierre Couttenier. Retailleau said Tuesday that the killing of Miraoui was 'clearly a racist crime', 'probably also anti-Muslim' and 'perhaps also a terrorist crime'.
