A questionable decision. On Monday March 27, a man suspected of an act of Islamist terrorism was released wearing an electronic ankle bracelet, Actu17 reports. This decision was made by the Court of Appeal in Paris, although the man had been in custody since November last year. The court ruled that his pre-trial detention was not necessary for the investigation or as a security measure, and now considered judicial control with electronic ankle bracelets to be appropriate.
This man, 22-year-old Noé E., had been arrested in Annecy in November 2022 after being reported by the intelligence services to the city’s public prosecutor’s office. This report was based on a series of suspicious trips by this person to Kosovo and Saudi Arabia. He had an S record and had been convicted of terrorist offences in 2018 and 2019. After launching an investigation, police officers searched his home and found a will in which the man described himself as a “humble servant of Allah” and bequeathed his assets to an association considered “close to the jihadist movement”. They also discovered a new machete, a hunting knife and an explosive waistcoat in his flat.
While in police custody, Noé E. insulted a female police officer. As a result, his detention was extended, which infuriated the suspect. He tried to take a police officer’s service weapon and shouted “Allah akbar”. The National Antiterrorism Prosecutor’s Office then took over the case.
Noé E. was charged and detained on November 25, 2022. The investigating judge has since demanded his release under electronic surveillance three times. The Court of Appeal refused twice before finally agreeing to his release from custody last Monday.
A psychological report drawn up on March 9 concludes that Noé E. made rational and factual statements without mental disorders.