Forbach: Man arrested in church with knife after shouting ‘Allah akbar’

A 35-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday, September 8, after entering the Saint-Rémi Church in Forbach, France, while reportedly shouting ‘Allah akbar’. The individual, who was born in the former Yugoslavia, was found in possession of an Opinel-type knife and a small amount of cannabis resin.

According to Prosecutor Olivier Glady, the police were alerted by the parents of 14-year-old students who heard the man shouting while he appeared to be searching for the priest. While the man was armed, authorities stated there were no acts of aggression, violence, or property damage within the church. The archpriest, Laurent Pidolle, noted that the arrest took place calmly.

The suspect, who is not known to intelligence services and does not have a ‘fiche S’ profile, has been taken into custody on charges of ‘apologie du terrorisme’ (apology for terrorism), weapon possession, and drug use. Forbach Mayor Alexandre Cassaro condemned the incident as a ‘cowardly and odious act’ and praised the two high school students who alerted the authorities.