Muslim Man Fatally Stabbed in Southern France Mosque: Suspect Surrenders in Italy
French prosecutors investigate possible racist motives after a Muslim volunteer was brutally murdered during Friday prayers, sparking national outrage.
Watan-A French prosecutor announced on Monday that the man suspected of fatally stabbing a Muslim man nearly 50 times in a mosque in southern France has surrendered to a police station in Italy.
Abdelkarim Grini, the prosecutor in the southern city of Alès handling the case, stated, “This is very satisfying for me as a prosecutor. Given the effectiveness of the measures taken, the suspect had no choice but to turn himself in, and that was the best decision he could make.”
Until last night, French police were still searching for the suspect who killed Muslim citizen Aboubakar inside a mosque in a southern French village early Friday morning. The attacker stabbed him approximately 50 times and recorded himself before fleeing after noticing surveillance cameras in the mosque, which helped authorities identify him.
The 24-year-old victim, originally from Mali, was known for volunteering every week to clean and prepare the mosque for Friday prayers.
France Mourns After Muslim Man Fatally Stabbed in Mosque
According to the prosecution, surveillance footage showed the victim speaking casually with the suspect before they both moved to the prayer hall. As Aboubakar began praying, the attacker appeared to imitate him before suddenly pulling out a knife and stabbing him.
The brutal killing sparked widespread outrage in France, with official and public condemnations pouring in. Vigils were held, and various French political figures and organizations staged a mass protest in central Paris on Sunday evening, denouncing the attack and the growing rhetoric of hatred against Islam and Muslims.
President Emmanuel Macron condemned the crime on X (formerly Twitter), stating that racism and religious hatred have no place in France, and that freedom of worship must be protected and inviolable. He expressed solidarity with the victim’s family and the Muslim community.
Prime Minister François Bayrou also condemned the “shameful anti-Muslim hatred” on Saturday, saying: “We stand with the victim’s family and the worshippers shocked by this crime.” He added that the state is mobilizing all resources to ensure the suspect is arrested and brought to justice.
According to Le Figaro, the suspect, identified as Olivier H., was born in Lyon in 2004. He is a French citizen of Bosnian descent, unemployed, and not known to the security services. He had no criminal record.
The prosecutor noted that authorities are investigating whether the crime was racially or religiously motivated.
