Suspect in fatal stabbing at French mosque surrenders to Italian police

ISTANBUL

The person accused of fatally stabbing a Muslim while praying at a mosque near Ales in southern France has surrendered to authorities in Pistoia, Italy.

Olivier H., who had been wanted since the April 25 attack on the Hatice Mosque in La Grand-Combe, near Ales, surrendered to a police station in Pistoia around 11 pm local time (2100GMT) on Sunday, Franceinfo reported.

He was taken into custody, and his extradition to France is now pending.

The Ales prosecutor’s office also noted that the case will not be treated as a terrorism-related incident, and therefore, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office will not be involved.

Earlier, French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou condemned the killing of the 24-year-old victim, Aboubakar, calling it an “anti-Muslim atrocity.” Authorities said the victim was stabbed between 40 and 50 times.

Many political figures have also strongly condemned the atrocious attack, which took place at around 8.30 am (0630GMT) on Friday. In addition to stabbing the victim to death, the suspect is said to have filmed the assault on a phone and shouted insults against Islam during the attack, according to local media.

The French Council of the Muslim Faith issued a statement strongly condemning an "anti-Muslim terrorist attack." It also strongly criticized French media outlets for initially portraying the incident as a “dispute between two Muslims,” accusing them of attempting to downplay the anti-Muslim nature of the crime.

The council also urged the Muslim community to remain vigilant against potential similar attacks, calling the situation "extremely alarming."