Trial of Othman Garrido: jihadist claims to have changed his "relationship with God" since imprisonment
Tried by Paris's special assize court for beheadings committed in Syria, this 32-year-old from Montpellier claimed Friday to have discovered "a different vision of life" in prison, while facing a possible life sentence.
Paris's special assize court heard, on Friday, September 18, an unexpected statement from Othman Garrido, a French jihadist from Montpellier, being tried for beheadings committed in Syria. According to remarks reported by Le Monde, this 32-year-old man, who grew up in a radicalized family, declared before the court that he had "discovered a different vision of life" since his imprisonment in France.
"My relationship with God has changed," he stated, according to the court record, presenting what the press described as a deradicalization speech. Othman Garrido faces life imprisonment for the charges against him.
The defendant, described as having grown up in a radicalized family environment, spoke at length before the special assize court, a judicial body without a jury competent to hear terrorism cases in France. The precise course of proceedings and the detailed content of his statements regarding the charges against him have not been fully made public at this stage.
The trial is continuing before Paris's special assize court. The date of the verdict has not been specified in the available information to date.
Sources
- « Ma relation avec Dieu a changé » : l’étonnant discours de déradicalisation du djihadiste Othman Garrido, jugé pour des décapitations en Syrie — Le Monde — Une
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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