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Suspect in Deadly French Mosque Stabbing Surrenders in Italy

The 21-year-old, accused of killing a Muslim worshipper in La Grand-Combe, is in Italian custody and faces extradition to France.

Polizisten vor der Moschee in La Grand-Combe, Frankreich
Französische Gendarmeriefahrzeuge patrouillieren vor der Khadija-Moschee in La Grand-Combe, Südfrankreich.
Trauernde vor der Moschee, in der ein aus Mali stammender Mann erstochen wurde
Image

Overview

  • The suspect, Olivier H., turned himself in to police in Pistoia, Italy, on Sunday evening, following a multi-day manhunt.
  • He is accused of stabbing Aboubakar Cissé, a 23-year-old Malian worshipper, over 50 times in the Khadidja Mosque on April 25, filming the act and shouting islamophobic insults.
  • Authorities are investigating the motive, with strong indications of an anti-Muslim hate crime, while also probing the suspect's mental state.
  • French leaders, including President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister François Bayrou, condemned the attack as an act of religious hatred and pledged support to the Muslim community.
  • The suspect, a French citizen of Bosnian descent with no prior criminal record, is expected to be extradited to France for prosecution.