Pakistani Man Sentenced to 30 Years for 2020 Terror Attack in Paris

Zaheer Mahmood was convicted of attempted murder and terrorism for targeting two victims outside Charlie Hebdo's former offices in a misguided act of vengeance.

• Zaheer Mahmood, a 29-year-old Pakistani national, attacked two individuals with a butcher's cleaver in September 2020, mistaking them for Charlie Hebdo staff.
• The attack occurred after Charlie Hebdo republished controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to mark the trial of the 2015 massacre at its offices.
• Mahmood was radicalized in France by extremist rhetoric and influenced by a Pakistani cleric who called for violent retribution against perceived blasphemers.
• Both victims survived the attack but suffered severe injuries, with one undergoing extensive rehabilitation and psychological recovery.
• Five accomplices, including some minors at the time, were also convicted of aiding Mahmood, receiving sentences ranging from 3 to 12 years.

3 Articles

Deutsche Welle Washington Post