The French national turned himself in at a police station in Italy, several hundred kilometers from the scene of the crime.
The suspect in a knife attack at a mosque in southern France surrendered to Italian police, French and Italian authorities said on Monday.
French police have been hunting for an attacker who stabbed a Muslim worshipper inside a mosque in the small French town of La Grand-Combe on Friday. After the assault, the killer filmed the dying victim with his phone.
What do we know about the arrest?The suspect turned himself in on Sunday evening at a police station in Pistoia, northern Italy.
The man, from a Bosnian family, went to the police station around 11 p.m. (2100 GMT) "accompanied by a lawyer and a close relative living in the town," Italian police said. According to the suspects' lawyer, the Lyon-born man had fled to Italy because a relative lives there.
Abdelkrim Grini, the prosecutor of the southern French city of Ales, told the AFP news agency: "Faced with the effectiveness of the measures put in place, the suspect had no option but to hand himself in."
He added that, "since the weekend," they had known that the suspect with no criminal record had fled France.
Grini assumes that the attacker had accomplices in his escape, which has yet to be determined by the investigating judge.
Italian authorities are now in touch with France to ensure that the suspect "is handed over to justice," Italian police told AFP.
According to the suspect's lawyer, a European arrest warrant has been issued and the alleged perpetrator could be extradited to France by Wednesday. The suspect reportedly expressed that he wanted to return to France.
Islamophobic motive suspected
A judicial investigation has been opened into a premeditated murder on the grounds of race or religion, a French prosecutor who is now in charge of the case announced on Monday.
Surveillance cameras at the mosque also show how the attacker stabbed his victim dozens of times while he was kneeling on the floor. The pair were alone in the mosque and the body was not found until mid-morning.
An Islamophobic motive could not be ruled out, according to local investigators.
The crime has sparked a wave of outrage in France after several reports indicated that the perpetrator shouted insults about Islam after the attack.
Prime Minister François Bayrou called the act an "Islamophobic atrocity" and President Emmanuel Macron said there was "no place" for racism and hate.
The suspect's lawyer, however, said he denied having been motivated by hatred of Islam and that "he has said nothing against Islam, nor mosques," according to the AFP news agency.
More than 1,000 people gathered in La Grand-Combe on Sunday for a silent march in memory of the victim.
The suspect in a knife attack at a mosque in southern France surrendered to Italian police, French and Italian authorities said on Monday.
French police have been hunting for an attacker who stabbed a Muslim worshipper inside a mosque in the small French town of La Grand-Combe on Friday. After the assault, the killer filmed the dying victim with his phone.
What do we know about the arrest?The suspect turned himself in on Sunday evening at a police station in Pistoia, northern Italy.
The man, from a Bosnian family, went to the police station around 11 p.m. (2100 GMT) "accompanied by a lawyer and a close relative living in the town," Italian police said. According to the suspects' lawyer, the Lyon-born man had fled to Italy because a relative lives there.
Abdelkrim Grini, the prosecutor of the southern French city of Ales, told the AFP news agency: "Faced with the effectiveness of the measures put in place, the suspect had no option but to hand himself in."
He added that, "since the weekend," they had known that the suspect with no criminal record had fled France.
Grini assumes that the attacker had accomplices in his escape, which has yet to be determined by the investigating judge.
Italian authorities are now in touch with France to ensure that the suspect "is handed over to justice," Italian police told AFP.
According to the suspect's lawyer, a European arrest warrant has been issued and the alleged perpetrator could be extradited to France by Wednesday. The suspect reportedly expressed that he wanted to return to France.
Islamophobic motive suspected
A judicial investigation has been opened into a premeditated murder on the grounds of race or religion, a French prosecutor who is now in charge of the case announced on Monday.
Surveillance cameras at the mosque also show how the attacker stabbed his victim dozens of times while he was kneeling on the floor. The pair were alone in the mosque and the body was not found until mid-morning.
An Islamophobic motive could not be ruled out, according to local investigators.
The crime has sparked a wave of outrage in France after several reports indicated that the perpetrator shouted insults about Islam after the attack.
Prime Minister François Bayrou called the act an "Islamophobic atrocity" and President Emmanuel Macron said there was "no place" for racism and hate.
The suspect's lawyer, however, said he denied having been motivated by hatred of Islam and that "he has said nothing against Islam, nor mosques," according to the AFP news agency.
More than 1,000 people gathered in La Grand-Combe on Sunday for a silent march in memory of the victim.
You may also like
He Made Sure Not To Upset Vaibhav's Rhythm: Bangar Lauds Jaiswal's Mature Approach Vs GT
Piyush Goyal discusses India's opportunities with top business leaders in UK
Punjab Board 10th, 12th Result 2025: Where and how can you check Punjab Board 10th-12th Result 2025?
IPL 2025: Major Setback for Virat Kohli as Sai Sudharsan Snatches Orange Cap Within 24 Hours
Zeenat Aman reflects on those who shaped her career while getting her stitches removed
