Law enforcement officials in Italy have arrested the man suspected in the stabbing death of a worshipper inside a mosque in southern France, authorities announced Monday. The suspect, a 21-year-old French national, reportedly surrendered to police Sunday night near Florence after several days on the run.
The victim, identified as Aboubakar Cissé, a 22-year-old Malian who worked as a volunteer at the mosque in La Grand-Combe, was found dead Friday morning. Investigators stated he had been stabbed multiple times.
The suspected attacker allegedly filmed the dying victim and shouted insults directed at Allah, according to reports cited by prosecutors. The footage was reportedly shared before being removed.
Prosecutors in Alès indicated that an anti-Muslim or Islamophobic motive is the primary focus of the investigation, given the nature of the crime and the location. However, the suspect's Italian lawyer reportedly stated his client denied being motivated by religious hatred, claiming he killed the first person he saw.
French officials condemned the attack. President Emmanuel Macron stated there is no place for racism and hatred based on religion in France. Prime Minister François Bayrou described the killing as an "Islamophobic atrocity."
Mohammed Moussaoui, head of the French Muslim council, raised concerns that anti-Muslim hatred is not treated with the same gravity as other forms of hate. He questioned why an anti-terrorism inquiry had not been opened.
Hundreds gathered in Paris on Sunday for a demonstration against Islamophobia in the wake of the attack. The Great Mosque of Paris urged authorities to investigate the motives and determine if the act should be classified as terrorism.
Prosecutor Abdelkrim Grini confirmed the suspect's apprehension in Italy, stating the intensive search made surrender his best option.
Grini also noted that other elements in the investigation could suggest the suspect harbored a "fascination with death" and desired to "be known as a serial killer." The suspect, reportedly unemployed, had no prior criminal record.
Giovanni Salvietti, the suspect's Italian lawyer, told Agence France-Presse that his client told investigators "he has said nothing against Islam, nor mosques."
