Six teenagers in Paris are on trial for their alleged roles in the beheading of a history and geography teacher Samuel Paty, who showed caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in his class, AP News reports.
Paty was killed near his school on October 16, 2020, by an 18-year-old of Chechen origin who had become radicalized. The attacker was later shot and killed by the police.
One of the accused, a teenage girl, initially claimed Paty asked Muslim students to leave the classroom before showing the cartoons, but later admitted to lying. The other five students are accused of identifying Paty to the attacker in exchange for promises of payment.
The trial, taking place at a Paris juvenile court, involves charges such as criminal conspiracy and making false allegations. All six teenagers face up to 2 1/2 years in prison if convicted. Additionally, eight other adults, including the father of the teenage girl, will face trial later for their roles in the incident.
