Overview

• Aboubakar Cissé, a 22-year-old Malian worshipper, was fatally stabbed during prayers at the Khadidja Mosque in La Grand-Combe on April 25, 2025.
• Olivier H., the 21-year-old suspect, surrendered to police in Pistoia, Italy, on April 27 after a three-day manhunt involving over 70 French investigators.
• A judicial inquiry has been opened in Nîmes for premeditated murder aggravated by religious motives, with prosecutors emphasizing the islamophobic nature of the attack.
• The suspect filmed the attack and made anti-Muslim remarks, but his lawyer claims he acted without specific religious hatred and killed the first person he encountered.
• Nationwide white marches and legal actions highlight public outcry over islamophobia, while calls for stronger protections for minority communities grow.