Six individuals to stand trial for the lethal 1982 assault on a Parisian Jewish eatery.
French Terrorism Court Orders Trial for Suspected Palestinian Terrorists Over 1982 Paris Kosher Restaurant Massacre
A French terrorism court has ordered six suspected Palestinian Arab terrorists to stand trial for their alleged involvement in the 1982 massacre at the Jo Goldenberg Jewish restaurant in Paris. The attack, which remains the deadliest antisemitic assault in France since World War II, resulted in six deaths and over 20 injuries.
The six suspects in the case are:
- Walid Abou Zayed, a 66-year-old Norwegian of Palestinian origin, believed to be one of the gunmen, who has been held in France since 2020.
- Hazza Taha, suspected of hiding weapons, who was recently arrested in Paris.
- Hicham Harb (real name Mahmoud Khader Abed Adra), living in the West Bank, wanted and not extradited.
- Nizar Tawfiq Hamada, living in the West Bank, wanted and not extradited.
- Amjad Atta (real name Souhair Al-Abassi), living in Jordan, wanted and not extradited.
- Nabil Othmane, living in Kuwait, wanted and not extradited.
Only two of the suspects, Abou Zayed and Taha, will be tried in person. The other four remain at large and will be tried in absentia because the countries where they reside have either refused to extradite them or not responded to French warrants.
The Abu Nidal terrorist organization, led by Sabri al-Banna, is believed to have been responsible for the attack. The group was responsible for numerous attacks that claimed at least 275 lives, including the 1982 massacre at the Jo Goldenberg Jewish restaurant in Paris, which involved the use of grenades and automatic weapons.
One survivor of the attack continues to suffer trauma and wishes to see the suspects and understand what happened. The trial, which has been ordered recently and is to be held before a specially constituted criminal court, is expected to begin early next year.
Two of the victims were American citizens, and French officials issued international arrest warrants for the suspects in 2015. The alleged ringleader, Amjad Atta, remains in Jordan, which has refused extradition. Three other suspects are believed to be in Jordan or the Palestinian Authority-controlled territories.
Abu Nidal was found dead in Baghdad in 2002, with Iraqi authorities claiming he died by suicide. The trial could bring closure to the victims' families and the survivors of the attack, as well as serve as a reminder of the devastating consequences of terrorism.
The court trial for the suspected Palestinian terrorists, involved in the 1982 Paris Kosher Restaurant massacre, has been ordered to proceed, with two suspects, Abou Zayed and Taha, standing trial in person. The remaining four suspects, Amjad Atta, Hicham Harb, Nizar Tawfiq Hamada, and Nabil Othmane, will be tried in absentia, as the countries where they reside have either refused extradition or not responded to French warrants. This trial, situated in the realm of general news, politics, war-and-conflicts, and crime-and-justice, could potentially bring closure to the victims' families and lead to a deeper understanding of the events that transpired.
