France: Three teens charged in beheading of teacher

Two 18-year-old men and a 17-year-old girl were charged Friday with "criminal terrorist conspiracy" in the murder of French history teacher Samuel Paty, a judicial source told news agency AFP. 

Paty, 47, was decapitated last month in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine after showing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad during a class discussion on freedom of speech. He was murdered by 18-year-old Abdullakh Anzorov, who was shot dead by police.

The cartoons in question were published by satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in September to mark the start of a trial of a 2015 attack by gunmen.

Read more: As France mourns slain teacher Samuel Paty, some question secular values

Ten charged so far

The two men — one French and one of Russian-Chechen origin — are accused of being in touch with Paty's killer, Anzorov. They have been placed in pre-trial detention. The female suspect has been accused of being in touch with one of the two men. She is currently in a youth detention center. The three were detained in separate regions of France, according to a judicial source cited by AFP.

Ten people have been charged in connection with the murder so far, including a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old accused of pointing out Paty to his killer. In France, being charged does not necessarily result in a trial — a case can be dropped due to lack of evidence. 

The murder sparked outrage across the country and prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to announce a crackdown on Islamist terrorism. The move led to anti-France protests and calls for boycotts of French products in several Muslim countries around the world.

Read more: Opinion: France's difficult struggle against Islamism

Also on Friday, prosecutors said they had charged three other teenagers with "supporting terrorism" for threats made during a national tribute to Paty.

tg/nm (dpa, AFP)