French jihadist Othman Garrido sentenced to thirty years in prison

Paris's special assizes court sentenced Othman Garrido, a French jihadist from Montpellier, to thirty years in prison on Tuesday. He was found guilty of murders committed as part of an organized criminal group during a double public execution that took place in 2015 in Syria, as well as criminal association linked to a terrorist enterprise.

According to evidence presented at trial, the charges against Othman Garrido stem from his involvement with jihadist groups that operated in Syria during that period, when the country was embroiled in a conflict marked by the presence of several armed organizations.

Proceedings before a specialized court

The case was examined by Paris's special assizes court, a jurisdiction composed exclusively of professional judges and competent to rule on terrorism cases in France. This type of court was established to handle cases deemed sensitive, particularly those involving acts committed abroad by French nationals linked to jihadism.

The thirty-year prison sentence is added to a series of trials concerning French nationals who went to join armed groups in the Iraq-Syria region during the previous decade, several of which resulted in lengthy sentences for murders, participation in executions, or membership in terrorist organizations.

The judicial authorities did not specify, in the available information, whether Othman Garrido intended to appeal this decision.