The suspect armed with a knife and a screwdriver arrived in France in 2014 without papers. He was arrested and convicted for glorifying terrorism after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Minister Retailleau on Saturday night. Police experts noted a schizophrenic profile in the suspect.
After serving several months in prison, he was placed under house arrest while authorities attempted to deport him to Algeria. The minister criticized Algeria for opposing the return of criminals that France is trying to deport. In response to the attack, the French government plans to hold a special meeting on immigration on Wednesday, as announced by Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Sunday.
In another development, four people were arrested after a fatal stabbing in Mulhouse, France, which authorities associated with Islamic extremism. A Portuguese citizen died in the attack on Saturday, February 22, near the border with Germany. Two relatives of the suspect and a person who provided him accommodation were also arrested, authorities said.
President Emmanuel Macron assured that the government is fully committed to responding to the attack, which he attributed to "Islamist terrorism." Seven police officers were injured, including an officer who was hospitalized with serious injuries. Among those arrested is the alleged assailant, a 37-year-old Algerian identified as Brahim A, described by the Interior Minister as a schizophrenic Islamic extremist.
The suspect repeated "Allahu akbar" during the attack, according to the anti-terror prosecutor. Barrot mentioned that they will focus on 19 countries where they have difficulties deporting undocumented individuals during an interview on radio Europe-1.
