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French Prosecutor Seeks Terrorism Charges Against Suspect in Decapitation Attack French Prosecutor Seeks Terrorism Charges Against Suspect in Decapitation Attack
(34 minutes later)
PARIS — The chief prosecutor here said Tuesday that he had requested that multiple charges of terrorism be brought against Yassine Salhi, who is accused of decapitating his boss and trying to set off a major explosion last week at a branch of an American chemical and gas company.PARIS — The chief prosecutor here said Tuesday that he had requested that multiple charges of terrorism be brought against Yassine Salhi, who is accused of decapitating his boss and trying to set off a major explosion last week at a branch of an American chemical and gas company.
The prosecutor, François Molins, speaking at a news conference, said that “all the elements in this case show that from the eve of the attack he had conceived his criminal, terrorist project,” although he did not rule out that Mr. Salhi may have had personal motives as well. The prosecutor, François Molins, said at a news conference that “all the elements in this case show that from the eve of the attack he had conceived his criminal, terrorist project,” although Mr. Molins did not rule out that Mr. Salhi may have had personal motives as well.
The charges requested by Mr. Molins include participation in a terrorist conspiracy, kidnapping, murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist act.The charges requested by Mr. Molins include participation in a terrorist conspiracy, kidnapping, murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist act.
Investigators said that Mr. Salhi, who will remain in custody, denied having had any terrorist motivation, contending that he was angry at his employer for harshly scolding him for dropping a pallet of valuable material.Investigators said that Mr. Salhi, who will remain in custody, denied having had any terrorist motivation, contending that he was angry at his employer for harshly scolding him for dropping a pallet of valuable material.
The prosecutor’s conclusion of terrorist motives was based on information from Mr. Salhi, from security cameras that filmed part of the attack in southeastern France and from data retrieved from his cellphone, which he used to send two photos of his victim’s body. One showed the body with an Islamist flag draped on it and with the head placed on its torso; the other showed him posing next to the body.The prosecutor’s conclusion of terrorist motives was based on information from Mr. Salhi, from security cameras that filmed part of the attack in southeastern France and from data retrieved from his cellphone, which he used to send two photos of his victim’s body. One showed the body with an Islamist flag draped on it and with the head placed on its torso; the other showed him posing next to the body.
Prosecutors said that Mr. Salhi was in touch with a man who left France for Syria in November and who used to live in the French city of Besançon, where Mr. Salhi also lived for several years. The man appears to have joined the Islamic State extremist group, prosecutors said.Prosecutors said that Mr. Salhi was in touch with a man who left France for Syria in November and who used to live in the French city of Besançon, where Mr. Salhi also lived for several years. The man appears to have joined the Islamic State extremist group, prosecutors said.
Mr. Salhi and his sister, who was questioned and released, told investigators that he had spent time in Syria in 2009, before the Islamic State was formed. He went with his family and told investigators that he was studying Arabic, although he told a few acquaintances that he also studied the Quran there. Investigators said Mr. Salhi and his sister, who was questioned and released, had told them that he spent time in Syria in 2009, before the Islamic State was formed. He went with his family and told investigators that he was studying Arabic, although he told a few acquaintances that he also studied the Quran there.
“When one goes to a Quranic school it is not to study Arabic, it is for something else entirely,” Mr. Molins said, seeming to imply that there had been a radical element to his studies.“When one goes to a Quranic school it is not to study Arabic, it is for something else entirely,” Mr. Molins said, seeming to imply that there had been a radical element to his studies.
It is unclear to what degree, if any, Mr. Salhi was involved with extremists during his time in Syria, but there is much less doubt about whether his actions Friday were premeditated, according to prosecutors. It is unclear to what degree, if any, Mr. Salhi was involved with extremists during his time in Syria, but there is much less doubt about whether his actions on Friday were premeditated, according to prosecutors.
They said that the night before the attack, Mr. Salhi, a resident of a suburb of Lyon, painted a fake gun to make it look real, and then took it and a kitchen knife with an eight-inch blade to work at a delivery company the next morning. He loaded his utility truck with gas canisters and lured his employer, Hervé Cornara, 54, into the back of the truck.They said that the night before the attack, Mr. Salhi, a resident of a suburb of Lyon, painted a fake gun to make it look real, and then took it and a kitchen knife with an eight-inch blade to work at a delivery company the next morning. He loaded his utility truck with gas canisters and lured his employer, Hervé Cornara, 54, into the back of the truck.
Mr. Salhi hit him over the head with a car jack, and strangled him, they said. He drove with the body toward the Air Products factory, where he often made deliveries, but stopped nearby and decapitated Mr. Cornara. Mr. Salhi hit him over the head with a car jack and strangled him, prosecutors said. He drove with the body toward the Air Products factory, where he often made deliveries, but stopped nearby and decapitated Mr. Cornara.
Mr. Salhi placed the head on the metal fence around the factory “for maximal publicity,” Mr. Molins said, and drove his truck into a hangar on the site, apparently aiming to explode the gas canisters. The canisters contained nitrogen and other gases, and although there was an explosion, it was not large.Mr. Salhi placed the head on the metal fence around the factory “for maximal publicity,” Mr. Molins said, and drove his truck into a hangar on the site, apparently aiming to explode the gas canisters. The canisters contained nitrogen and other gases, and although there was an explosion, it was not large.
Mr. Salhi’s efforts to set off another explosion caught the attention of firefighters who had arrived, witnesses said, and they heard him shouting, “Allahu akbar,” or “God is great” in Arabic. A firefighter seized Mr. Salhi, and he was soon arrested.Mr. Salhi’s efforts to set off another explosion caught the attention of firefighters who had arrived, witnesses said, and they heard him shouting, “Allahu akbar,” or “God is great” in Arabic. A firefighter seized Mr. Salhi, and he was soon arrested.
The attack, which occurred on the second Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, came after a well-publicized call by the Islamic State for attacks on non-Muslims during the holiday.The attack, which occurred on the second Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, came after a well-publicized call by the Islamic State for attacks on non-Muslims during the holiday.
Mr. Salhi’s tensions were not limited to his employer. He complained to his wife that she was not religious enough in text messages found by investigators.Mr. Salhi’s tensions were not limited to his employer. He complained to his wife that she was not religious enough in text messages found by investigators.
Mr. Salhi first came to the attention of the intelligence services in 2003 because of his links to the Salafist movement, a fundamentalist strain of Sunni Islam. He visited Morocco and Saudi Arabia in 2003 and 2004, and that year he became friendly with Frédéric Jean Salvi, an extremist Islamist called Grand Ali. That relationship led the intelligence services to flag Mr. Salhi as a security risk in 2006, although the authorities removed him from their active watch list in 2008 for unknown reasons.Mr. Salhi first came to the attention of the intelligence services in 2003 because of his links to the Salafist movement, a fundamentalist strain of Sunni Islam. He visited Morocco and Saudi Arabia in 2003 and 2004, and that year he became friendly with Frédéric Jean Salvi, an extremist Islamist called Grand Ali. That relationship led the intelligence services to flag Mr. Salhi as a security risk in 2006, although the authorities removed him from their active watch list in 2008 for unknown reasons.
He again caught the attention of French intelligence after becoming close to someone with ties to a French extremist group known as the Forsane Alizza movement. Shortly after the attack Mr. Molins said Mr. Salhi had been under surveillance from 2006 to 2008, but the French authorities had not previously released details about his travels and his more recent tiesto people with extremist connections. He again caught the attention of French intelligence after becoming close to someone with ties to a French extremist group known as the Forsane Alizza movement. Shortly after the attack, Mr. Molins said Mr. Salhi was under surveillance from 2006 to 2008, but the French authorities had not previously released details about his travels and his more recent ties to people with extremist connections.