Six years after the terrorist attack in Carcassonne: trial begins against those linked to the perpetrators. The largest church in the world is here – and it’s… completely absurd

Six years after the Islamic attack in France that left four hostages dead, the trial of six men and one woman linked to the perpetrators has begun.

Five of them, including the perpetrator’s girlfriend, have been on trial in Paris since Monday for membership of a terrorist organization. The defendants face a prison sentence of up to 30 years. The trial, which began under strict security measures and great public interest, is expected to conclude at the end of February.

In March 2018, a 25-year-old Islamist shot four people in separate attacks in the Carcassonne region, including a 44-year-old police officer who had made himself available in a hostage exchange. The gendarmerie officer Arnaud Beltrame was later celebrated as a hero; he would have prevented further deaths. 16 people were injured in the attacks. Police killed the attacker, who had barricaded himself in a supermarket.

A series of attacks shocked France

The attack was part of a series of Islamist attacks in France. The country was particularly shocked by the serious attacks in Paris in 2015 and Nice in 2016.

Before the hostage situation in the small town of Trèbes, the perpetrator took control of a car and killed one of the occupants. Moments later he shot at riot police who were returning from jogging to their barracks. The attacker then drove to Trèbes, where he shot two people in the supermarket and took hostages. After negotiation, the hostages were able to leave in exchange for the police officer. When shots were fired in the supermarket, the police intervened.

The attacker described himself as a ‘soldier’ ​​of the terrorist militia ‘Islamic State’ (IS) and also shouted ‘God is great’ in Arabic during his attack in the supermarket. The authorities now had him in their sights because of suspected radicalization. During his hostage it was said at the time that he demanded the release of Muslim ‘brothers’.

(hah/sda/dpa)