France: Three Men Imprisoned After Jihadist Plot Potentially Targeting Jewish Community

13:20

Three men have been charged and placed in provisional detention in France as part of an anti-terrorism investigation. They are suspected of planning to depart for an area controlled by the Islamic State in Africa and of potentially developing a violent action plan targeting the Jewish community.

An Investigation Launched Around a Messaging Group

The case began in early July when intelligence services became interested in the activities of several members of a WhatsApp group identified as "the soldiers of Allah."

The investigation, entrusted to the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), gradually led investigators to three men. All were arrested on Tuesday before being placed in police custody.

The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (Pnat) then referred the case to the judiciary for the suspicions to be examined in a judicial procedure.

Suspicions of Departure to ISIS in Africa

According to initial information provided by the Pnat, the suspects are believed to have prepared for a departure to an ISIS stronghold in Africa.

Investigators are also trying to determine whether this planned movement was linked to an intention to prepare a violent action on French territory. The Jewish community could potentially have been a target.

At this stage, authorities are speaking of suspicions rather than definitively established facts. The judicial investigation will need to clarify the intentions of the three men, their possible preparations, and their connections with others.

A Judicial Inquiry Opened

On Friday, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office opened a judicial inquiry for conspiracy to commit terrorism. An investigating judge has been appointed to continue the investigations.

The Pnat had requested the indictment of the three suspects as well as their provisional detention. These measures were ordered overnight from Friday to Saturday.

The procedure will now allow magistrates to verify the elements collected by the intelligence services and clarify the role of each of the accused.

A Possible Link to a Case in the United States

The French investigation also has an international dimension. According to a source close to the case cited by AFP, one of the three suspects is believed to have had a connection with a woman recently arrested in the United States by the FBI.

35-year-old Jessica Bowie is suspected by American authorities of preparing, on behalf of ISIS, a bombing plot against the New York State Parliament. She was arrested in August in the United States.

A source close to the case confirmed the existence of a link between one of the men arrested in France and this woman. However, the exact nature of this relationship and its potential significance in the French case will need to be established through investigations.

Investigations Continue

With the opening of the judicial inquiry, investigators will now seek to establish all the ramifications of this case, including any potential contacts maintained by the suspects and the reality of the projects attributed to them.

This new procedure comes in a context where French anti-terrorist services continue to monitor networks likely to promote radicalization, departures to conflict zones, or the preparation of violent actions.