A man with a history of radical Islamism and mental health issues has stabbed a tourist to death and injured two others in central Paris. The attack, which occurred near the Eiffel Tower on Saturday night, is being investigated as a possible “terrorist plot”. The suspect, Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab, a French national of Iranian descent, was apprehended shortly after the knife and hammer attack. The victim has been identified as a 23-year-old German-Filipino citizen. Two others, a 66-year-old British citizen and a 60-year-old French national, were also wounded.
During the attack, Rajabpour-Miyandoab shouted “Allahu Akbar” (Arabic for “God is greatest”). Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin revealed that the suspect expressed his anger over the killings of Muslims in Afghanistan and Palestine and accused France of complicity with Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. The attacker’s parents confirmed that he had been receiving treatment for mental illness.
Police and security sources have discovered a video in which the assailant claimed responsibility for the attack, citing “current events, the government, and the murder of innocent Muslims”. Investigators are delving into his medical history, describing him as “very unstable and easily influenced”. They are questioning whether he had received adequate medical monitoring.
This is not the suspect’s first encounter with the law. In 2016, he was sentenced to four years in prison for planning another attack in the La Defense business district of Paris, which he did not carry out.
French authorities have condemned the attack, vowing not to succumb to terrorism. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne asserted that they will stand strong against such acts. President Emmanuel Macron offered his condolences to the victim’s family and praised the swift arrest of the suspect by security forces.
The incident has heightened concerns about security in Paris, especially with the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympic Games. France has experienced previous attacks by Islamist extremists, including the 2015 Paris attacks claimed by ISIS. Although there has been a lull in recent years, officials have warned that the threat remains.
