Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Mohamed Medjdoub, an Algerian national accused of carrying out a bomb attack in Lyon that injured more than a dozen people in May 2019, appeared before a Paris court earlier today.
He faces charges of attempted murder linked to terrorism, manufacturing an explosive device, and possessing explosive materials. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
On May 24, 2019, two days before the European elections, Medjdoub allegedly placed a homemade bomb outside a bakery on Victor Hugo Street. The explosion, though not powerful, left several people wounded, including a 10-year-old girl.
Morgane, a witness who was in the street at the time, remembers the moment vividly. “The explosion left us completely deafened. Our ears rang, and we could not hear anything clearly,” she told TF1 Info.
She and her friends only realized the extent of their injuries after the initial shock passed. “It is unsettling to face someone who tried to kill us, but I think we all need to be there, to see him.”
Arrest and investigation
Security cameras showed a man on a bicycle, face concealed by a cap and sunglasses, approaching the bakery. Investigators believe Medjdoub left a paper bag containing an explosive device made with TATP, a volatile substance, and packed with more than 270 metal pellets and screws. He allegedly purchased the materials online.
Authorities tracked him down by analyzing the bomb’s detonator, which used batteries sold exclusively on Amazon. Reviewing purchase records and security footage, they arrested him three days after the attack. The investigation found no evidence of accomplices.
Medjdoub arrived in France in 2017 to join his family. He held a degree in mathematics and computer science from Algeria but remained in the country illegally after being denied a student visa.
Radicalization and trial
Since his arrest, Medjdoub has shown no remorse. He told investigators he wanted to “frighten the French” into voting for far-right parties, believing this would deepen tensions with Muslims and lead to civil war. He insisted his aim was not to kill but to create panic. “People should feel fear, even when going out to buy bread,” he reportedly said.
In prison, authorities describe him as openly extremist. He admitted to engaging in religious discussions with Salah Abdeslam, a key figure in the November 2015 Paris attacks, and claimed it was his duty to convert other Muslim inmates. “I believe I have had success,” he told the magistrate.
During his last interrogation in April 2023, Medjdoub expressed hatred toward France. “I have been humiliated, disrespected, and I will take revenge. If I catch a French person, I will behead them and cut them into a thousand pieces,” he allegedly said.
The trial continues until April 7.
