Suspect Behind Islamophobic Attack in French Mosque Turns Himself In to Italian Police
Rabat – The man who stabbed and killed a Muslim mosque goer in a French mosque in La Grand Colombe, southern France, has turned himself in to the police in Italy just two days after he committed the crime.
Reports said today that the suspect turned himself in near Florence on Sunday night.
According to Al Jazeera, the French Ministry of Interior confirmed the news, noting that the suspect, aged 21, is named Olivier A. and has no previous criminal record.
Abdelkrim Grini, the public prosecutor in Ales city, told French news outlet BFMTV that French police were tracking the suspect after he fled France.
'It was only a matter of time before we got our hands on him,' he said.
The defendant killed Aboubakar Cisse, a young Malian Muslim, stabbing him 40 to 50 times in cold blood on Friday morning inside the mosque. The suspect filmed the heinous act himself, and even expressed the desire to become a 'serial killer' in the video, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told BFMTV on Sunday.
On Sunday, Muslims and non-Muslims alike marched in memory of Cisse in the town where he was murdered.
Hundreds also rallied on Sunday in Paris to denounce the Islamophobic attack. Tags: Islam in FranceIslamophobia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Ya Biladi
8 hours ago
- Ya Biladi
Spain faces terror threat from Sahrawis linked to Tindouf camps
Sahrawis from the Tindouf camps involved in terrorist groups operating in the Sahel pose a serious threat to Spain, a country many of them know well. «According to intelligence sources, around a dozen Sahrawis born in the Tindouf camps (Algeria) took part in the ' Holidays in Peace ' program, which allows children to spend summers in Spain, away from the harsh conditions of the desert and refugee camps. This is why they speak fluent Spanish», reported La Vanguardia on Sunday, June 8. Intelligence services have also raised concerns about the growing presence of Polisario-linked individuals in leadership roles within terrorist organizations in the Sahel, such as the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) and the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO). These warnings come just three days after Spanish authorities arrested two Sahrawis from the Tindouf camps on suspicion of terrorist activity in Spain. Before being killed by French forces in Mali in 2021, Adnane Abou Walid al-Sahraoui recruited dozens of youths from the Tindouf camps into his group, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. Among them was Abou Houzeifa, also known as Hugo, who was killed by the Malian army in April 2024. The La Vanguardia article has sparked outrage among Polisario supporters in Spain. «We express our deep concern and condemnation over the publication of articles on Sunday, June 8, by Enric Juliana and Joaquín Vera, which—under the guise of geopolitical analysis—uncritically echo the official Moroccan narrative and a discourse of fear, effectively criminalizing the Sahrawi cause», wrote a Polisario-affiliated media outlet.
Ya Biladi
5 days ago
- Ya Biladi
French Justice Minister praises Morocco for arrest in crypto-kidnapping case
French Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin expressed his gratitude to Morocco on Wednesday and praised the excellent judicial cooperation between the two countries, following the arrest of the alleged mastermind behind a series of recent crypto-related kidnappings in France. «I sincerely thank Morocco for this arrest, which demonstrates the excellent judicial cooperation between our two countries, particularly in the fight against organized crime», the French minister wrote on his official X account. The arrest was the result of a joint security operation carried out by Morocco's National Brigade of Judicial Police (BNPJ), in coordination with the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST). The operation led to the apprehension of a French-Moroccan national suspected of involvement in kidnappings for extortion and ransom targeting cryptocurrency users, as well as in money laundering activities linked to an international organized crime network operating in France. The 25-year-old suspect was arrested in the city of Tangier as part of international security cooperation, shortly after Moroccan authorities received a formal request from their French counterparts outlining the criminal offenses allegedly committed on French territory, according to a statement from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN).
Morocco World
5 days ago
- Morocco World
Forced to Work as ‘Antoine,' Mohamed Wins Lawsuit After 20 Years of Discrimination in France
Rabat – For 20 years, Mohamed Amghar went to work under a name that wasn't his. Hired in 1997 by Intergraph France, a technology company, Mohamed was asked to stop using his real name and start going by 'Antoine.' Now, after a long legal battle, a French court has ruled in his favor. The court found that Intergraph France discriminated against Mohamed because of his name, committed moral harassment, and violated his privacy. The company was ordered to pay him €30,000 in damages. 'The pain is still there. It's 20 years of my life,' Mohamed told Le Parisien after the court's decision. Mohamed had just completed a successful job interview in late 1996 when his future manager asked him to use a different name. Mohamed, shocked and ashamed, accepted the condition. He never received an explanation. But he believes it was because his boss thought a name like 'Mohamed' would hurt sales and scare clients. 'It's racism. It's discrimination,' Mohamed said. Although he knew it was wrong, Mohamed stayed. He was in his 40s, had three children, and had already left his previous job. Over the years, he became a top salesman, winning company awards and earning good money, but always under the name 'Antoine.' Mohamed Amghar After leaving the company in 2017, Mohamed took legal action. In 2018, his lawyer tried to settle the matter quietly, but Intergraph denied responsibility. The company even suggested that Mohamed may have chosen the name himself. He then took the case to labor court in France, but lost in 2022. Mohamed then decided to appeal and finally, in 2025, the court ruled in his favor. The court said the employer failed to explain why the name 'Antoine' was used and could not prove that Mohamed had asked for the name change. While Mohamed was happy to finally receive recognition, the damages awarded, €30,000, feel small to him. 'This isn't enough to stop others from doing the same. For a billion-euro company, it means nothing,' he said. Mohamed's story is not unique, as many people with Muslim names or North African backgrounds face pressure to hide their identity to fit in or avoid discrimination in France. Tags: ArabFranceIslamophobiamuslim
