A former soldier from Haute-Vienne, suspected of having disseminated messages of apology for Nazism, acquired weapons and carried out research on meeting places of the Jewish community, is put on trial for "
individual terrorist enterprise
", AFP learned from a judicial source on Wednesday December 1.
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Aurélien C., 38, converted as a security agent and arms enthusiast, was arrested in Limoges in May 2020 because of the increasingly violent nature of his messages on social networks.
He has since been in pre-trial detention.
On November 26, three anti-terrorism investigating judges ordered him to be tried before the Paris Criminal Court, according to a judicial source.
According to the prosecution, Aurélien C., described as lonely and introverted by his employer, "
gradually fed a criminal project and gave himself the means to achieve his ends
" from mid-2018, in particular by training the handling of weapons.
Marrying the theses of ultra-right and anti-Semitic, Aurélien C. promoted the discourse on “
the great replacement
” and presented himself as a worshiper of Brenton Tarrant, the white Australian supremacist accused of having killed 51 people in two mosques in New Zealand in March 2019. He had carried out research on the net on meeting places of the Jewish community, in Limoges and elsewhere in France.
During searches carried out at his home, investigators found three firearms and ammunition.
The trial will be held from January 26 to 28
He had already been sentenced in May 2019 to four months in prison for threats against members of the association SOS Racisme Les potes en Limousin. And a few weeks later, on appeal, a four-month suspended prison sentence, this time for acquiring and possessing a weapon without authorization. In 2018, he had indeed bought an automatic pistol and a revolver and had then been spotted for messages on the internet, calling for a fight in the context of the demonstrations of "
yellow vests
" in Paris. Asked by AFP, his lawyer did not follow up.
Another accused, Joseph B., 68, suspected of having sold him weapons, is put on trial for violations of the laws on weapons.
Counsel to Joseph B., who will appear free under judicial supervision, Me Alexandre Simon told AFP that his client "
was not aware of the radicalism
" of Aurélien C., "
nor of his possible dangerousness
".
Read alsoTwo ultra-right activists urging "violent actions" arrested in the South West
Their trial should be held in Paris, before the 16th correctional chamber, from January 26 to 28.
The national anti-terrorism prosecution (Pnat) requested a trial for the two men in early October.
