France: Audrey Mondjehi jailed for obtaining Strasbourg attacker’s gun
A male individual has been handed a 30-year prison sentence for aiding an Islamist assailant responsible for the deaths of five individuals at a French Christmas market in December 2018.
Audrey Mondjehi, aged 42, was found guilty of procuring a firearm utilized by Cherif Chekatt, who perpetrated shootings and stabbings against his victims in Strasbourg, located in northeastern France.
It was revealed during the trial that Mondjehi and Chekatt had been previous cellmates in prison.
Additionally, two other men received shorter prison terms for their involvement in aiding Chekatt, while a fourth individual was acquitted of charges.
The attack resulted in the deaths of five individuals as Chekatt unleashed gunfire upon the crowd at the festive market. Police subsequently fatally shot Chekatt two days later.
On 29 February, Mondjehi and others accused of facilitating Chekatt in the days leading up to the attack stood trial at the Court of Assize in Paris.
Arnaud Friedrich, an attorney representing some of the families of the victims, described the trial as a pivotal moment for his clients.
Mondjehi was not convicted of a terrorism-related offense, as the court determined he was unaware of Chekatt’s intentions for the weapon.
According to AFP, Mondjehi expressed remorse during his trial, stating, “I deeply reflect and feel profound sadness for all the victims. I will regret what happened for the rest of my life.”
“I would never have thought that he would have done that, I never thought that he was radicalised.”
At about 8pm on 11 December 2018, Chekatt – who had a string of criminal convictions and was on a watchlist of people who represent a potential threat to national security – entered the historic centre of Strasbourg armed with a revolver and a knife.
He opened fire, shouting “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”) as he did so, before killing five people at random and injuring a further 11.
He managed to escape the area by jumping into a taxi, before being found by police after a 48-hour manhunt.
Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack, and a video pledging allegiance to the group was found at Chekatt’s home. But the French interior minister at the time, Christophe Castaner, cast doubt on the claim, saying it was taking credit for an attack it hadn’t planned.
The five people who were killed were:
Antonio Megalizzi, a 29-year-old Italian journalist
Barto Pedro Orent-Niedzielski, a 36-year-old Strasbourg musician of Polish origin
Anupong Suebsamarn, 45, who was a Thai national on holiday with his wife
Kamal Naghchband, a garage mechanic who was originally from Afghanistan
Pascal Verdenne, a retired bank worker aged 61 from Strasbourg
