Man accused of Eiffel Tower stabbing charged with terror offences
A man accused of fatally stabbing a tourist and injuring two others, including a Brit, close to the Eiffel Tower has been charged with terror offences.
Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab has been placed under investigation by French police on charges of murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist organisation, the country’s prosecutor’s office said.
Rajabpour-Miyandoab, 26, is accused of killing a German-Filipino tourist at a bridge near the Eiffel Tower in France’s capital on Saturday. A British man and a French man were also injured in the attack.
He was under surveillance for suspected Islamic radicalisation at the time, and had been convicted and served prison time for a planned attack that never took place.
He recorded a video before the attack in which he swore allegiance to the so-called Islamic State group and expressed support for Islamic extremists in other countries, anti-terrorism prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard said.
Under French law, preliminary charges precede any indictment, which comes after an investigation and would send the suspect to trial. Charges also can be dropped.
Rajabpour-Miyandoab has been placed in isolation by a judge’s order.
The stabbing has drawn concern from French authorities less than a year before the 2024 Paris Olympics. Its opening ceremony is planned to take place along the River Seine.
It has also raised questions about how people convicted of terrorism-linked crimes can move about freely after serving their sentences.
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