France: Attentat déjoué du Thalys en 2015: le tireur condamné à la perpétuité 20min.ch - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from 20min.ch Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Thursday, 17 December, 2020 - 18:15
French investigating police in protective clothing collect clues inside the Thalys high-speed train where shots were fired in Arras, France, August 21, 2015. REUTERS/PASCAL ROSSIGNOL Asharq Al-Awsat
A French court on Thursday convicted an ISIS operative in a train attack five years ago that was foiled with a dramatic tackle by three American passengers.
It sentenced Morocco-born Ayoub El Khazzani to life in prison, with 22 years guaranteed behind bars.
Three accomplices, who weren t on the train, were also convicted of complicity and handed sentences ranging from seven to 27 years.
The verdict closes the month-long trial of El Khazzani for attempted terrorist murder. He had boarded the train to Paris on Aug. 21, 2015 with an arsenal of weapons.
PARIS A French court on Thursday convicted an Islamic State operative in a train attack five years ago that was foiled with a dramatic tackle by three American passengers. It sentenced Morocco-born Ayoub El Khazzani to life in prison, with 22 years guaranteed behind bars. Three accomplices, who weren t on the train, were also convicted of complicity and handed sentences ranging from seven to 27 years. The verdict closes the month-long trial of El Khazzani for attempted terrorist murder. He had boarded the train to Paris on Aug. 21, 2015 with an arsenal of weapons. The court rejected El Khazzani s contention that he had changed his mind about carrying out the assault. He seriously wounded a French-American teacher who grabbed his Kalashnikov.
Verdict due in trial of French train attacker
by The Associated Press
Last Updated Dec 17, 2020 at 7:26 am EDT
PARIS A verdict is due Thursday in the month-long trial of an Islamic State operative thwarted in his effort to attack a French train five years ago by a dramatic tackle by three American passengers.
The prosecution has asked for life in prison for Ayoub El Khazzani, charged with attempted terrorist murder. The Moroccan-born El Khazzani, who was armed with an arsenal of weapons, claimed in court that he changed his mind about carrying out the attack, although he seriously wounded a French-American passenger who had grabbed his Kalashnikov.
The gunman behind a foiled terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train in 2015 has been sentenced to life behind bars.
Ayoub El Khazzani was convicted of attempted terrorist murder on Thursday, at a French court.
On August 21, 2015, Khazzani boarded the high-speed Thalys service to Paris at Brussels, armed with an assault rifle, nearly 300 rounds of ammunition, a hand gun and a cutter.
Few if any of the passengers in car No. 12 of the train from Amsterdam to Paris would have reached their destination alive if the attack had gone off as planned, prosecutors, lawyers and some witnesses contended during the trial.