The man who had burned a Koran in front of the Villeurbanne mosque in early June was sentenced to one year in prison on Wednesday.
A 27 -year -old man, followed in longtime psychiatry, was sentenced to a year in prison on Wednesday by the Lyon Criminal Court for burning a Koran in June before a Mosque in Villeurbanne (Rhône).
On the night of 1is As of June 2, shortly before the first prayer in the morning, the young man had taken a Koran intended for the faithful of the Errahma mosque, in Villeurbanne, and had burned her outside the building.
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A witness had extinguished the flames and reported the facts the next day to the managers of the premises, who had filed a complaint. The incendiary had been stopped quickly thanks to the exploitation of video surveillance images.
Judged for “degradation committed due to race, ethnicity, nation or religion”, the defendant defended himself “To be an Islamophobic”saying “Victim of his illness”a paranoid schizophrenia that he has been dealing with since he was 18 years old. It is also under curatorship reinforced for two years. “I understand that my gesture was very serious”he explained. “For me, it was just a book, it was not against the Muslims themselves”he assured.
The prosecution had requested 15 months in prison
It’s necessary “Bring an answer to a company that feels injured” After the «transgression» of the accused, including the “Discernment was only altered” At the time of the facts, estimated the prosecutor Hannah Tellier, stressing a “Risk of major reiteration”. She had claimed 15 months in prison.
“You have already been sentenced three times by a court for acts of threats, violence due to sexual orientation or gender identity”reminded him of the president of the court, reporting his remarks “A little bit of xenophobia”once, before a judge to apply sentences. The penalty is accompanied by a two -year ban on appearing in Villeurbanne.
The Koran fire had been denounced as an act “Islamophobic” By several religious officials, as well as local elected officials, especially during a support demonstration. “It is a satisfactory sentence for us. We had the feeling of having been fully heard ”reacted to the press Me Sefen Guez Guez, the lawyer for the Errahma association and the Rhône mosques council.
