French prosecutors want 14 tried over Charlie Hebdo attacks

French prosecutors want 14 tried over Charlie Hebdo attacks

The Djibouti presidency confirms the arrest, describing Cherif, 36, as "a suspected international terrorist".

Well-wishers bring flowers and light candles to honour victims outside the main Synagogue in Copenhagen, Denmark, Feb 15, 2015. (AFP pic)
FRANCE:
French prosecutors are calling for 14 people to be tried in connection with the January 2015 jihadist attacks including the massacre at satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, judicial sources said Friday.

It will be up to anti-terrorist judges to decide whether all 14 are tried.

The decision comes nearly four years after brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi and Amedy Coulibaly killed 12 people at the offices of Charlie Hebdo on Jan 7, 2015.

The next day a policewoman was killed just outside Paris, while another gunman took hostages at a Jewish supermarket, four of whom were killed.

All the attackers were killed in separate shootouts with police.

Authorities said the attackers had claimed allegiance to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State militant group.

Those likely to face trial are accused of “complicity” in assisting the attackers, including providing them with weapons.

Another man, French national Peter Cherif, an associate of the Kouachi brothers, was arrested in Djibouti on December 16, French officials said Friday.

The Djibouti presidency confirmed the arrest, describing Cherif, 36, as “a suspected international terrorist”.

Cherif was expected to be extradited from Djibouti. He has not yet been indicted in connection with the Charlie Hebdo attack.

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