The trial of the Franco-Syrian Imam Ayachi, referred for “Association of Terrorist Cropors”, leads to a rare debate of constitutionality.
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Despite more than two decades of companionship with jihadism in France and Belgium, the Franco-Syrian Imam Bassam Ayachi has never been sentenced by a court. Today, 75 years old, the religious with a sulfur and long white beard appears – free – since Tuesday, April 5th in the Paris Correctional Court of Paris for “Association of terrorist criminal “. Notified in the same case, Hachimi Melb, in pre-trial detention since 2018, appears for the same facts.
Justice reproaches them for having exercised or fought for Syrian rebel armed groups in the IDLIB region – still today under the control of armed groups opposed to the regime of Bachar al-Assad – between 2014 and 2018. In the case of Imam Ayachi, the order of reference before the Criminal Court accuses him of having played a spiritual guide role in the Islamic-nationalist group Ahrar Al-Cham and to have “fitted” with the Jihadist group Front Al-Nosra, who presented itself at the time as the Syrian branch of Al-Qaida, or to have attended the group of Omar Diaby – also known under his omar omsen pseudonym – a jihadist Nice with a particularly important role in the recruitment of young French people in order to lead the Jihad to Syria.
Devidation requests rejected
Imam Ayachi does not deny his role in Ahrar Al-Cham, today almost disappeared but who is not considered a terrorist group by the European Union, the United States or the UN. On the other hand, he claims to have been in contact with the Al-Nosra Front and the groups of Omar Diaby to spy on them on behalf of French and Belgian intelligence services. As for Mr. Melhab, to whom he is criticized for fought within the Al-Nosra Front, his defense is identical: he acted on behalf of Imam Ayachi and informed him about the actions of foreign jihadists present on zone. .
The examination and discussion of the facts were delayed on Tuesday, April 5, by a constitutional debate raised by the lawyer of Mr. Ayachi, M e Joris Monin of Flaugergues. But the priority question of constitutionality (QPC) posed by the lawyer is precisely at the heart of Imam Ayachi’s record and trial. For him, he is reproached to his client “to actively participate in terrorist groups while he actually participated in the fight against these groups, without the intelligence services agree to lift the secret-defense to prove his Role “.
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