Sid Ahmed Ghlam case

The Sid Ahmed Ghlam case is the alleged 2015 murder of Aurélie Châtelain and the alleged planning of a terror attack against a church in Villejuif by Sid Ahmed Ghlam and possible accomplices. As of April 2016, the case is under investigation in France and the suspected motive for the terror planning is radical Islamism. Ghlam is denying the accusations.[1][2][3]

The case

On 19 April 2015, Aurélie Châtelain, a dance instructor, was found shot dead in her burnt-out car in Villejuif, outside Paris. Sid Ahmed Ghlam, a French-Algerian student, shortly after sought medical help in Paris for gun wounds in one of his arms. His behaviour raised suspicion, leading French authorities to check his car, a Renault Mégane where they found a Kalashnikov rife, a revolver and a bullet proof vest. In his apartment they found three more Kalashnikovs and another weapon. He was detained at the hospital.[4]

Information found in Ghlam’s home and on his telephone led the police to believe he was planning an immediate attack on a church, being instructed by a French-speaking man in Syria. Allegedly, he had a list of further target churches, including the Sacre Coeur in Paris and Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy that was attacked by other Islamic State terrorists in July 26 2016.[5] Ghlam had according to the police been in Turkey in February the same year, and at the time expressed a wish to go to Syria. He had been warned by police when he returned from Turkey, but had not been considered a serious security risk by the authorities.[6][4]

Some days after the incident, Ghlam was charged with murder, attempted murder, association with criminals with a view to commit crimes against people and other crimes “connected to a terrorist organisation”.[4] Le Monde reported that Ghlam's arrest stopped him from following through on his next targets, which possibly were the two churches of Villejuif and/or the Sacré-Cœur Basilica.[7][8]

Ghlam's DNA was found on Châtelain and in the car where she died. The authorities have not identified a clear motive for the alleged murder. Initially, they suggested Ghlam might have tried to steal her car. Another possible motive that has been put forward is that Ghlam might have mistaken her for being an official spying on him. The shots were fired at her from outside the car. Ghlam pleads innocence with regard to the death,[9] saying that she was killed by another person he was with.[10][6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Botelho, Greg (24 April 2015). "Faith turns Christians into terrorist targets". CNN. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  2. ↑ Breeden, Aurelien (23 April 2015). "Student Arrested on Suspicion of Planning Attack in France". New York Times.
  3. ↑ Allen, Peter (22 April 2015). "Heavily armed jihadist 'planning attacks on Churches' is arrested by French police after accidentally shooting himself... and is linked to 'random killing' of dancer". Daily Mail.
  4. 1 2 3 Kim Willsher (24 April 2015) French student charged with murder and links to a terrorist organisation The Guardian
  5. ↑ LAURA MOWAT. "Why did no one act? Normandy Catholic church was on ISIS terror 'hit list' found LAST YEAR". The Express. Retrieved 2 October 2016. These included the Sacre-Couer basilica in Paris, and places of worship including the one in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray targeted today.
  6. 1 2 Soren Seelow (3 August 2015) Sid Ahmed Ghlam, entre les mailles du filet Le Monde
  7. ↑ Madjid Zerrouky. "Attentat de Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray : l'EI cherche à détruire toute coexistence religieuse". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 27 July 2016. deux attentats avaient été déjoués en 2015 contre deux églises de Villejuif (Val-de-Marne) et la basilique du Sacré-Cœur (Paris), cibles de Sid-Ahmed Ghlam, arrêté le 19 avril 2015.
  8. ↑ "Attaque djihadiste à Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray : ce que l'on sait". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 27 July 2016. Sid Ahmed Ghlam, un étudiant algérien, est soupçonné d'avoir projeté un attentat contre l'église de Villejuif en avril 2015. L'exploitation de ses deux ordinateurs avait permis de savoir qu'il visait également un train et la basilique du Sacré-Cœur à Paris. L'homme avait été arrêté avant qu'il puisse mettre son projet à exécution.
  9. ↑ Meurtre d'Aurélie Châtelain : Sid Ahmed Ghlam a participé à la reconstitution LCI.TF1 20 March 2016
  10. ↑ Jean-Marc Leclerc (21 March 2016) Meurtre d'Aurélie Châtelain : «Tout accuse Sid Ahmed Ghlam» Le Figaro
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