The investigation into the murder of wheelchair-bound Iraqi Christian influencer Ashur Sarnaya in Lyon, France, has been transferred to the anti-terrorism unit of the Paris Judicial Court.
According to Le Progrès, the investigating judge at the Lyon Judicial Court relinquished jurisdiction on October 9, handing the case over to the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office.
Sarnaya, 45, was stabbed to death outside his apartment by an assailant who had reportedly been lying in wait. The suspect, a man of Algerian descent, was arrested on October 2. At the time of the attack, Sarnaya was livestreaming on TikTok.
Sarnaya had lived in France for over ten years after fleeing Iraq following the Islamic State’s takeover. He was known for hosting live sessions on TikTok, where he discussed his Christian faith and criticized Islamist groups. His outspoken stance had provoked hostility from some viewers, and he had received multiple death threats prior to his murder on September 10.
His killing sent shockwaves through the Christian community in France and abroad. French politician Marine Le Pen commented on the case, warning that France’s immigration policies were allowing “the entry of our own executioners.” Christian groups in France also called for authorities to consider the religious motivation behind the crime.
In a joint statement issued on Monday, October 13, Lyon prosecutor Thierry Dran and national anti-terrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen confirmed that the case had been extended to the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office through a supplementary indictment. The investigation will now probe whether the murder constitutes an offense of murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise and criminal terrorist association.