Azim Epsirkhanov sentenced for violating house arrest in France

Azim Epsirkhanov, a 25-year-old Chechen man involved in the 2020 assassination of teacher Samuel Paty, has been sentenced to one year in prison for violating his house arrest.

Epsirkhanov, who was previously sentenced to seven years for criminal conspiracy after providing the knife used in the killing, was under house arrest in Hauts-de-Seine pending deportation. The Senlis court issued the new sentence after he was found at Parc Astérix in Oise, violating his restriction to remain within his assigned department.

While the defense argued the violation was due to a misunderstanding of the prefecture's decision, prosecutors noted that the defendant had left his assigned department eight times, including during the night.