Aggressor of Paris attack appears before judge

Photo: Paris, demonstration on December 26 Monday/Economic Times

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William M. who killed Emine Kara, Mîr Perwer (Mehmet Şirin Aydın), and Abdurrahman Kızılan in an armed attack that targeted the Ahmet Kaya Culture Center in Paris, France appeared before the judge yesterday (December 26).

The prosecutor carrying out the investigation on the killings which took place in Paris on December 23 requested that the suspect should be jailed pending trial, reported Euronews.

The prosecutor also requested a judicial investigation on the 69-year-old William M. for the crimes of "murder or attempted murder based on race, ethnic origin, nation or religion, and procuring and keeping a weapon without permission."

The coroner judge on the other hand decided that the aggressor who targeted Kurdish people should be charged with "murder or attempted murder based on race, ethnic origin, nation or religion" and that the detention of the suspect should continue. It is not yet known which prison the suspect was taken to.

"Suspect should be tried with terror charges"

Yeni Yaşam daily reported that some Kurdish associations want that the suspect should be sued not with "racism" but with "terror" charges.

Calling for the event to be regarded as a "terror attack," representatives of Kurdish associations organized a silent march yesterday at the location where the attack was made in order to commemorate those killed. The people who participated in the march carried red roses in their hands in memory of the three people killed in 2013 in Paris.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the Left Party in France reiterated his request that the suspect should be tried with "terror" charges, posted on his social media accounts.

Formal investigation started

The French press reported that a formal investigation was started about the suspect. According to the announcement by the Paris prosecutor, the suspect is being charged with "murder or attempted murder based on race, etnic origin, nation or religion and keeping a weapon without permission."

Being taken under a formal investigation means that there are serious and consistent pieces of evidence showing that a person has committed a crime.

French ambassador summoned in Ankara

Hervé Magro, the ambassador of France in Ankara was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and here it was communicated to him that "black propaganda was made against Türkiye" in the demonstrations that started following the killing of three Kurds in France and that Ankara was "uncomfortable about this."

Protests in France on Saturday

In the demonstrations organized on Saturday (December 24) in Paris, participants first gathered in the Republican Square and started a march after a stand in silence. However, there was a conflict between the police and the demonstrations after some provocation by some showing a wolf's sign, symbolizing extreme Turkish nationalists.

The demonstrators threw stones, chairs, and similar to the police while the police used pepper gas. France Info reported that at least four vehicles were toppled and at least one vehicle was put on fire in the events.

There were protests in other parts of the country also on Saturday and tension in some of them between the protestors and the police. (SD/AEK/PE)