Zaheer Mahmood has been sentenced to 30 years for attempting to murder two individuals with a meat cleaver outside the former headquarters of Charlie Hebdo in 2020, influenced by radical ideology. Five other accomplices received sentences ranging from three to twelve years.
30-Year Sentence for Meat Cleaver Attack Outside Former Charlie Hebdo Office
30-Year Sentence for Meat Cleaver Attack Outside Former Charlie Hebdo Office
Zaheer Mahmood, a Pakistani man, receives a lengthy prison term for a terrorist attack that left two journalists wounded in Paris.
Zaheer Mahmood, a 29-year-old man from Pakistan, has been handed a 30-year prison sentence for a violent attack carried out with a meat cleaver outside the past offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris in 2020. Mahmood’s assault injured two employees of the Premieres Lignes news agency, occurring shortly after the controversial re-publication of Prophet Muhammad cartoons by Charlie Hebdo, which reignited tensions surrounding freedom of expression and blasphemy.
The court found Mahmood guilty of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit terrorism. His actions were partly incited by radical preacher Khadim Hussain Rizvi, who called for revenge against those disrespecting the Prophet. The court proceedings revealed that Mahmood acted without knowledge of Charlie Hebdo's relocation following a devastating attack in 2015, which claimed 12 lives.
Additionally, five other Pakistani nationals, some minors at the time, were sentenced to prison terms between three and 12 years for aiding Mahmood in his attack. The proceedings for these accomplices took place in a juvenile court in Paris due to their ages.
During the trial, testimonials from the victims depicted a horrifying scene where they were pursued while sustaining severe injuries. The male victim described the incident as having disrupted his life significantly, adding that he had yet to find closure despite Mahmood’s pleas for forgiveness. Meanwhile, Mahmood, who entered France illegally in 2017, previously misrepresented his age and lacked fluency in French, living primarily in the Pakistani community.
As Mahmood serves his sentence, he will face a future ban from France, marking a chapter in a broader discussion around radicalization and measures against domestic terrorism in the country.
