The custody of seven young men arrested Tuesday as part of the anti-terrorism investigation into the assassination of Professor Samuel Paty were lifted Friday "
without prosecution
" at this stage.
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These men, aged 17 to 21, had been arrested because they "
appear on different messaging groups in which (Abdoullakh) Anzorov
", the assassin of Samuel Paty, had specified the same source.
They had been arrested Tuesday morning by the anti-terrorism sub-directorate (Sdat) and the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI), in particular in Toulouse, Lyon, Rouen, Besançon, in Seine-et-Marne and in Maine-et- Loire.
Some are of Chechen origin, like the assailant.
A total of 14 people are indicted in the investigation into the murder of Samuel Paty, 47, beheaded on October 16 near his college in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (Yvelines) for showing his students caricatures of Mahomet, notably from Charlie Hebdo.
Read also: Assassination of Samuel Paty: a schoolboy indicted in Marseille for apologizing for terrorism
Among the suspects are Brahim Chnina, the father of a student behind the campaign to smear the teacher, and the Islamist activist who supported him, Abdelhakim Sefrioui.
Six schoolchildren are also indicted, including five for "
complicity in a terrorist assassination
", accused of having allowed Anzorov, an 18-year-old refugee, to identify the professor.
The assailant claimed responsibility for his action in an audio message in Russian where he said he had "
avenged the prophet
" Muhammad, accusing the professor of having "
shown it in an insulting manner
".
He was shot dead shortly after by the police.
In December, five men, aged 18 to 21, of Chechen origin, were also released after being in custody without prosecution at this stage.
The investigating judges were interested in the possible contacts that they had been able to have with the terrorist.