A 28-year-old man, described by investigators as having ties to violent radical far-left groups, has been charged with terrorist conspiracy to commit crimes against persons. He is suspected of having planned an attack against law enforcement. Placed under judicial supervision on July 4, he is now the subject of an appeal by the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (PNAT), which is contesting this decision.
The suspect, a waiter by profession and resident of Essonne, was arrested as part of a counter-terrorism investigation. During a search of his home, investigators discovered political manifestos and tutorials explaining how to make homemade weapons. The investigation also revealed exchanges with an individual described as having ties to the anarchist movement in Rojava, in northeastern Syria.
The defense denounces a disproportionate terrorist charge.
The defendant's lawyers strongly deny the accusations. They maintain that their client has never belonged to a far-left organization nor participated in radical activist actions, asserting that his only participation in a demonstration dates back to May 1st. According to them, he cultivated a fictitious image of a committed activist online, an image that does not correspond to reality.
The defense argues that the case does not fall under the jurisdiction of the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office. While it maintains that certain statements or publications could justify investigations for glorification or incitement to hatred, it considers the charge of terrorist conspiracy "completely disproportionate" and denounces a legal construct lacking sufficient basis.
A threat closely monitored by intelligence services
According to a security source, French services have identified between 2,000 and 2,500 known radical far-left activists. However, cases related to this movement remain rare in the hands of anti-terrorism courts.
The previous major case dates back to the trial of several far-left sympathizers convicted in 2023 for terrorist conspiracy. Before that, the Tarnac affair, opened in 2008 for sabotage of TGV lines, ultimately saw the terrorism charges dropped before the trial, which concluded in 2018 with a near-total acquittal.
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