Algerian sentenced to life for Lyon bomb attack that injured 13
Mohamed Medjdoub remained seated and showed no emotion as the verdict was delivered in a Paris courtroom on Monday.
An Algerian man linked to the Islamic State group has been sentenced to life in prison by a French court for a 2019 bomb attack that injured 13 people in the city of Lyon.
The ruling also stipulates that he must serve at least 22 years before being eligible for parole.
AFP reports that Mohamed Medjdoub, 29, remained seated and showed no emotion as the verdict was delivered in a Paris courtroom on Monday.
The charges against him stem from a homemade bomb he placed outside a bakery on May 24, 2019—two days before European elections.
The device exploded and injured several people, among them a 10-year-old girl.
The investigation revealed that Medjdoub had packed explosives and 270 metal projectiles into an old crisp tube, concealing it inside a paper bag.
According to statements he gave to investigators, his goal was to spread fear and influence the European vote in favor of the far right, hoping that the outcome would lead to greater hostility toward Muslims and eventually a “civil war.”
During the trial, which began early last week, Medjdoub remained mostly silent.
However, in his final remarks to the court on Monday, he made clear he had no regrets about the attack.
“Perfection, from the start to finish,” he said, referring to the planning and execution of the bombing.
Court-appointed psychological experts described Medjdoub as “narcissistic” and “dangerous.”
His family, who had moved to France in 2015, told investigators that he was reclusive, rarely left his room, and had no known friends.
He joined his relatives in France in 2017.
Despite his refusal to answer most questions during the trial, authorities were unable to determine whether he was radicalised while in Algeria or after arriving in France.
The bomb attack, which took place in broad daylight in a busy public area, left victims with injuries ranging from shrapnel wounds to trauma-related complications.
The court noted the deliberate planning involved and the motive behind the act as key reasons for handing down the life sentence without the possibility of parole for over two decades.
Medjdoub's lack of remorse and silence throughout most of the proceedings added to concerns raised by both the prosecution and psychological experts.
