As the trial of Samuel Paty’s alleged accomplices unfolds in Paris, new details are emerging about the murderer’s ties to the Syrian jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The proceedings coincide with HTS seizing control of Damascus, forcing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad into flight.
Abdoullakh Anzorov, the man who brutally murdered history teacher Samuel Paty, was killed by police shortly after the attack. However, the trial has revealed how HTS propaganda influenced Anzorov’s radicalization and those within his circle.
Twelve days before the murder, Anzorov praised HTS on Snapchat, calling it “the best group today to join” for anyone wanting to wage “real Jihad.” On the day of the attack, he sent a gruesome Instagram photo of Paty’s decapitated head to a contact, along with a chilling voice message:
“I decapitated the teacher, now I’m going to wage jihad in France.”His recipient, Tajik national Faruq Shami—based in HTS-controlled Idlib—replied: “Allah Akbar! May the peace, mercy, and blessing of Allah be upon you.”
Shami, who handled HTS media propaganda, maintained contact with radicalized individuals in France through social media. Authorities suspect he acted as a mentor to Anzorov, and France’s anti-terror prosecutor opened an investigation against him in 2022.
While HTS denied ordering Paty’s murder, the group stopped short of condemning the attack. When questioned, HTS told journalist Wassim Nasr:
“We live in an open world, anyone can contact anyone. The student’s act is the responsibility of the French President, who has provoked and accused Islam. What he did reflects what’s happening in France, not Idlib.”
Two of Anzorov’s associates now standing trial—Ismaël Gamaev and Louqmane Ingar—also maintained links with HTS propagandists through social media.
The revelations paint a grim picture of the interconnectedness of online jihadist propaganda and radicalized individuals in Europe. While HTS denies direct involvement, its ideological influence remains undeniable.
