A French court has sentenced Pakistani national Zaheer Mahmood to 30 years in prison for a knife attack outside the former office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in 2020, which left two people injured. The court found Mahmood guilty of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit terrorism. In addition to the prison sentence, Mahmood has been permanently banned from re-entering France.
According to international media reports, the attack was carried out in response to Charlie Hebdo’s 2015 publication of controversial caricatures. Mahmood, armed with a knife, targeted two individuals smoking outside the location he believed to be the magazine’s office, unaware that it had relocated after a 2015 terror attack by Al-Qaeda-linked assailants that killed 12 people. The victims of the 2020 attack survived after receiving prompt medical attention.
In court, Mahmood claimed his actions were motivated by religious beliefs, stating that his attack was guided by the Quran and Pakistani law. He also expressed his belief that Charlie Hebdo was still operating from the location of his attack.
The court’s ruling reflects France’s ongoing commitment to combat terrorism and uphold its laws against extremist acts. Mahmood, originally from a rural area in Pakistan, now faces a lengthy prison term and a lifetime ban from returning to France.
