"I made a mistake ... It was to make the buzz ..." Luqman Heider, 33, kept a low profile in front of the Pontoise criminal court, where he recognized this Monday evening the comments made in three videos posted on the social network TikTok.
Words that earned him to be prosecuted for “public apology for an act of terrorism”.
An offense punishable by 5 years in prison.
Judged in immediate appearance, he asked for a delay to prepare his defense and will be tried on the merits on November 12.
Pending this hearing, he was placed in pre-trial detention to ensure his representation in court and to avoid recurrence of the facts.
"If your TikTok account is deleted, it is illusory to think that you will not have access to a computer by then", underlines the president.
He recognizes and regrets his act
Three videos are accused of him.
In the first to date, that of September 9, he evokes the cartoons that Charlie Hebdo will publish again and specifies that "the faithful Muslims are ready to sacrifice themselves for the prophet".
The next day, he speaks of "attacking non-Muslims, the disbelievers", and "sending them to hell".
Finally, on September 25, he paid tribute to the man who carried out the terrorist attack in front of the former Charlie Hebdo premises and welcomed the repercussions of his act.
“Since then, this brave man is known in Pakistan and in all social networks.
He is known all over Europe.
This status is thanks to the prophet.
"
Assisted by an interpreter, this Pakistani, who arrived in France in 2015, admits the facts and says he regrets them.
"I present my sincerest apologies", he confides, while noting his "lack of knowledge of French".
He taught the Koran to 6-10 year olds
The elements of the investigation discussed during the hearing revealed that he was housed in the Quba mosque, which is located on the edge of the district of Derrière-les-Murs-de-Monseigneur (DLM ).
Those responsible for the latter having demanded his departure.
“Since the day we discovered the videos, it is no longer part of the mosque.
After the last one, I asked him to leave ”, assures the person in charge in hearing.
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It appears that he was practicing at the mosque as an imam.
If he was leading the prayer, "occasionally" he told the audience, he was not preaching, he said.
On the other hand, it has been established that he gave Koran lessons to children aged 6 and 11 on Saturdays and Sundays.
"We do not know absolutely what covered these courses", worries the prosecutor.
According to the survey, his religious training would be limited to a certificate of rote learning of the Koran.
The officials of the Quba Mosque assured that this imam was no longer part of it.
LP / VT
His activity at the mosque, added to that of an employee of a restaurant in Villiers-le-Bel, enabled him to obtain around 1,200 euros per month and to pay rent to the mosque for his apartment.
"Terrorism is also committed by the word"
Single without children, without criminal record, he arrived in France in October 2015, starting his work at the mosque in 2016. He is also in an irregular situation: without a valid residence permit, he was subject to two obligations of leave French territory (OQTF) issued by the prefecture in recent years, and a third during the time of his custody.
He had recently taken steps to obtain a residence permit.
Me Denis Lelièvre, the lawyer for the Imam of Villiers-le-Bel, requested the referral of the case.
LP / Fr.N.
"We are faced with a recognized offense which harms the interests of the nation and the victims of terrorism and which is one of the most serious," said the prosecutor.
Terrorism is also committed through speech by instilling the poison of hatred and chaos in people who, driven by this kind of talk, would be capable of taking action.
"
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Me Denis Lelièvre, the lawyer for the imam, asked for the case to be referred: "It is important that this one is not judged three days after the announcements of Emmanuel Macron on Islam and separatism, so that the passions fade a little.
There is a need for appeasement which seems to me incompatible with the immediate appearance.
"
The President of the Republic announced on Friday a series of measures to fight against separatism, including the control of the financing of mosques and the training in France of imams, the end of the use of foreign imams.
"The conditions under which he was admitted to the mosque leave me speechless" adds Me Denis Lelièvre.
“There was no control.
"
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