Peter Cherif on Trial for Terrorism in Paris

Peter Cherif, a French jihadist linked to the 2015 Charlie Hebdo massacre, began his trial in Paris on Monday for terrorism-related crimes committed between 2011 and 2018, including the kidnapping of three French aid workers in Yemen. Arrested in Djibouti in 2018, Cherif was previously placed on a U.S. blacklist as a member of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Although not formally charged in connection with the Charlie Hebdo attack that killed 12 people, his potential involvement is a significant aspect of the trial, with judges believing he facilitated one of the Kouachi brothers' integration into AQAP. Cherif claims to have had no knowledge of the attack plans and has previously testified in the 2020 trial regarding the massacre, asserting his innocence. His lawyer acknowledged the weight of the Charlie Hebdo case on the trial's outcome, while Cherif faces a possible life sentence if convicted.