Three days after the end of the Olympic and Paralympic races in Paris, the national anti-terrorist prosecutor, Olivier Christen, revealed on Franceinfo on Wednesday 11 September that there had been “three foiled attacks” during this period.
These foiled attacks were specifically targeted at “bar-type establishments, around the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne” AND “Israeli institutions and representatives in Paris”detailed. Besides, “two people from Gironde (…) had [aussi] planned to go on the attack during the Olympics »he added.
“All those who planned these attacks were arrested, resulting in five indictments”including that of“a minor”said Mr. Christen. They are all imprisoned now, he said, welcoming the “challenge met” by the French police and justice system during these Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“After Olympic Games that took place in perfect safety conditions, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will end without incident”welcomed the resigning Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin on Sunday evening at the end of the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games. 45,000 police officers and gendarmes were on duty every day during the Olympic Games and 25,000 during the Paralympic Games.
Preeminence of the jihadist threat
In addition to the judicial response, the prosecutor also mentioned the administrative response: “936 home visits” in 2024, against “153 in 2023”. There “The jihadist threat represents 80% of the procedures” carried out by the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT), he recalled, highlighting that“In the first half of 2024, there were approximately three times as many procedures” of this type than during the same period in 2023. This increase is explained, according to him, by the “geopolitical context”but also for “reconfiguration, particularly in Afghanistan,” of the Islamic State (IS) organization.
“Daesh [acronyme arabe de l’EI] has not disappeared and spreads propaganda that impacts the population”and in particular on the minors who are there “delicate”. Like Jean-François Ricard, his predecessor at the head of the PNAT, Christen insisted on the “very notable rejuvenation of people involved in acts of terrorism”.
