Overview

Zaher Hassan Mahmood is a Pakistani-born terrorist who carried out a stabbing attack near the former offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris in September 2020.

On September 25, 2020, Mahmood, wielding a butcher’s knife, stabbed and wounded two employees of Premières Lignes, a documentary production company. French police arrested the 25-year-old assailant near Place de la Bastille shortly after the attack. The attack occurred on Rue Nicolas Appert, the same street where Charlie Hebdo’s office was located on during the January 7, 2015 shooting. The 2015 attack, which ultimately killed 17 people, was in response to the magazine’s publication of cartoons featuring the Prophet Muhammad.“Charlie Hebdo: Stabbings suspect 'was trying to target magazine',” BBC News, September 26, 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54307820. Mahmood believed the two victims were employees of the publication.Aurelien Breeden and Constant Méheut, “2 Wounded in Paris Knife Attack Near Charlie Hebdo’s Former Office,” New York Times, September 25, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/25/world/europe/paris-knife-attack.html.

According to French officials, Mahmood sought to set the Charlie Hebdo offices on fire as the publication recently republished the controversial cartoons ahead of a terrorism trial for the 2015 attack.Aurelien Breeden, “Paris Attack Suspect Wanted to Target Charlie Hebdo With Arson,” New York Times, September 29, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/29/world/europe/france-attack-suspect-terrorism.html. Over 14 people are on trial for assisting in the Charlie Hebdo and kosher supermarket attacks in January 2015. The suspects face charges ranging from belonging to a terrorist organization to supplying weapons and financing terrorism.“France Pushes Back Charlie Hebdo Attack Trial To September,” Agence France Presse, March 31, 2020, https://www.barrons.com/news/france-pushes-back-charlie-hebdo-attack-trial-to-september-01585657804.

Mahmood allegedly arrived in France in 2018, posing as a minor named Hassan Ali in search of work. On September 25, 2020, the day of the attack, Mahmood was meant to meet with local authorities to review his status as he was not a legal resident.Aurelien Breeden, “Paris Attack Suspect Wanted to Target Charlie Hebdo With Arson,” New York Times, September 29, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/29/world/europe/france-attack-suspect-terrorism.html. Prior to the stabbings, Mahmood reportedly recorded a video on his phone claiming he would carry out an attack, but he did not claim allegiance to any particular terrorist organization.“Paris Attacker Says he Was Targeting 'Charlie Hebdo' Magazine,” Voice of America, September 28, 2020, https://www.voanews.com/europe/paris-attacker-says-he-was-targeting-charlie-hebdo-magazine.

According to people associated with the suspect, Mahmood repeatedly watched videos of the founder of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan who organized a series of demonstrations in Pakistan following Charlie Hebdo’s republication of the cartoons.Sam Schechner and Noemie Bisserbe, “Paris Knife Attack Near Former Charlie Hebdo Office Is Probed as Terrorism,” Wall Street Journal, September 25, 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/paris-knife-attack-near-charlie-hebdo-ex-office-injures-two-11601033740. On September 30, Mahmood was charged with attempted murder in relation with a terrorist enterprise.“Terrorism charges filed in stabbings near French newspaper,” Associated Press, September 30, 2020, https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/terrorism-charges-filed-stabbings-french-newspaper-73333959. Mahmood’s family in Pakistan praised his actions. His father, Arshad Mahmood, told a local news station that his son “did a great job” and had “done what every Muslim should have done — avenge blasphemy.”“Paris knife attacker's father applauds son; says he did ‘a great job,’” WION, October 1, 2020, https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/paris-knife-attackers-father-applauds-son-says-he-did-a-great-job-331694. In December 2020, French authorities arrested four Pakistani nationals accused of foreknowledge of Mahmood’s attack and encouraging him to carry it out.Agence France-Presse, “Charlie Hebdo: four men charged over Paris knife attack,” Guardian (London), December 19, 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/20/charlie-hebdo-four-men-charged-over-paris-knife-attack.