One of the two terrorists who murdered Catholic priest Jacques Hamel in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray early Tuesday had told investigators he was “not an extremist,” and was “aware of his mistake” before being released from prison to house arrest, it was revealed today.
“A.K.” – named as Adel Kermiche – was known by French intelligence services, just like the Kouachi Brothers behind the Charlie Hebdo attack; and Bataclan killer Samy Amimour before him.
The 19-year-old jihadist, who was killed yesterday by police at the scene, had been charged with criminal association and relations with a terrorist enterprise after attempting to reach Syria twice.
But he was released on March 22 of this year, despite an appeal by Paris’ anti-terrorist prosecutor. He had been placed under house arrest since March 2016 and was wearing an electronic tag at the time of the attack.
Fr Jaques Hamel. A man of peace. Murdered today by hate-filled terrorists. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/xn3N4jHUN6
— Fr Peter Tierney (@PeterTierney1) July 26, 2016
During a meeting with the judge, he claimed that prison had taken a toll on him and that he regretted fleeing to Syria.
“I want my life back. I want to see my friends, to get married,” Kermiche told an examining magistrate during the hearing.
He also evoked professional aspirations, coaxing the judge into thinking he was seeking a better life for himself: “I am a Muslim grounded in values of mercy and kindness (…) I am not an extremist.”
The young man “realized his mistakes,” and was determined to reintegrate back into society, the judge overseeing the case concluded. He would be freed and placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring, where his family would supervise and support him.
Paris prosecutors appealed the decision, deeming the judge’s rationale “unconvincing” and saying there was a “high risk” of Kermiche reoffending given his light sentence.
Even Kermiche’s parents expressed doubts over the judge’s decision. In the same leaked documents, they said they’d rather have him “incarcerated and alive” than wandering freely—with the risk of him trying to leave for Syria again.
Kermiche was given a four-hour window every morning when he could leave his parents’ home. It was during this interval that he stormed the church and took five people hostage, killing one.
He is one of 112 people placed under house arrest out of the 286 taken into custody to date for terrorist-related activities.
