A 19-year-old biology student, who had written on Facebook that Samuel Paty "deserved" to die before repenting, was sentenced Friday by the Besançon criminal court to 4 months suspended prison sentence for "apologia for terrorism".
The young woman, judged in immediate appearance, will also have to complete a citizenship course in the next 6 months, for which she will have to register at her own expense.
Commenting on an article in L'Est Républicain which announced a rally in memory of the teacher, published on the Facebook page of the regional daily, she wrote: “He deserves not to be beheaded, but to die, yes.
This comment, reported by a user on the Pharos platform, led Thursday to his arrest at the University of Besançon and his placement in police custody.
"I regret having written this comment, I apologize.
I am against what I wrote ", declared the student in court, stressing to have herself" erased the same evening "her message written" too quickly "and" without thinking ".
"I made a very big mistake, these messages do not correspond to me"
"I made a very big mistake, these messages do not correspond to me", insisted the young woman who assured that she was unaware of the precise circumstances of the beheading, on October 16, of the teacher when she had reacted on Facebook.
“I'm not at all against the fact that he (Samuel Paty) showed a caricature.
It is a teacher who presents his course as he wishes, ”added this young girl from a Muslim family who says“ living (her) religion at home ”and having just fled violence in Algeria.
For prosecutor Margaret Parietti, who required six months in prison suspended probation and 180 hours of community service, "we are in a context where we can not write, say anything".
"I am willing to believe that this is a slip, incomprehensible, a moment of madness during a fit of anger," however tempered the magistrate.
The investigation and search of his computer and smartphone had not revealed any links to terrorist companies.
The defendant's lawyer, Me Caroline Espuche, spoke of a "young woman well inserted" who "does not watch the news so much" and did not know "much about Samuel Paty".
She had come across "a video of a student's parent" which denounced the use of caricatures of Muhammad by the history-geography teacher during a course to his 4th year students on freedom of expression and had it. understood "like:
we make fun of Muslims
", pleaded the lawyer.
"Immediately, she made her comments, without seeking information, she reacted hot" on social networks, she said.