- On trial for terrorism, linked to Al-Qaeda and 2011 kidnapping.
- From Paris, fought in Iraq, escaped from Syria.
- Fled there in 2011, joined AQAP.
- Faces life in prison, denies charges.
Peter Cherif, also known as Abou Hamza, is currently on trial for terrorism-related charges linked to his alleged involvement with Al-Qaeda in the Middle East and the 2011 kidnapping of three French aid workers in Yemen. Cherif, who is 42, was arrested in Djibouti in 2018. He has connections to the Paris jihadist cell implicated in the January 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack, which resulted in twelve deaths. While he is not formally charged in this attack, his potential involvement is a focal point of the trial.
Cherif, like the Kouachi brothers, grew up in northeastern Paris and was a member of the Buttes Chaumont jihadist network. His trial has prompted scrutiny of his path from Paris to Al-Qaeda, with Charlie Hebdo’s lawyer, Richard Malka, calling for a clear understanding beyond religious motivations. Cherif’s past includes a significant episode in 2004 when he left Paris to fight in Iraq.
In Iraq, Cherif was captured by coalition forces in Fallujah and sentenced to 15 years in Baghdad for illegal border crossing. He managed to escape to Syria in 2007. After reporting to the French embassy in Damascus, he was deported and indicted in Paris in early 2008.
In 2011, Cherif went on trial in France but fled to Yemen before his sentencing, which was set for five years in prison. Once in Yemen, he joined Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and took part in its activities, including interactions with radical preacher Anwar al-Awlaqi.
Cherif’s journey continued in 2018 when he traveled to Djibouti with his family under a false identity. He was apprehended there a few months later and subsequently extradited to France.
As the trial unfolds, Cherif faces a potential life sentence if convicted. Despite being on a US blacklist since 2015 for his AQAP affiliations, he has denied any involvement in the crimes. His lawyer has stated that Cherif will present a sincere statement during the trial.
The trial is anticipated to wrap up by early October, marking a crucial moment in assessing Cherif’s alleged activities and connections to terrorism.
