PARIS, May 31: French authorities have handed preliminary terrorism charges to an 18-year-old accused of a plot targeting spectators attending Olympic soccer games.
The man is accused of planning a “violent action” on behalf of the Islamic State group’s jihadist ideology, the national counterterrorism prosecutor’s office said in a statement Friday.
The man, who was not identified, is behind custody pending further investigation.
Earlier, France’s security authorities foiled a plan to attack soccer events during the upcoming Paris Olympics, the country’s interior minister said Friday.
It was the first such thwarted plot targeting the Games, which start in eight weeks as France is on its highest threat alert level.
Gerald Darmanin said in a statement that members of the General Directorate of Internal Security arrested an 18-year-old man from Chechnya on May 22 on suspicion of being behind a plan to attack soccer events that will be held in the southern city of Saint-Etienne.
According to the initial investigation, the man was preparing an attack targeting the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne that will host several soccer matches during the Summer Games.
The planned attack was to target spectators and police forces, the statement said. The suspect wanted to attack the Olympic events “to die and become a martyr,” the statement also said.
The Paris Olympics will run from July 26-August 11.
Soccer matches will take place in cities across France before the final in Paris’ Stade de France.
France is on in its highest security alert ahead of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, which are expected to draw millions of visitors.
The Paris Olympics organizing committee said it was made aware of the arrest and praised intelligence and security services. “Security is the highest priority of Paris 2024. We are working daily in close coordination with the Interior Ministry and all stakeholders — and will continue to be fully mobilized,” it said in a statement.
In April, French President Emmanuel Macron said the July 26 opening ceremony could be moved instead to the country’s national stadium if the security threat is deemed too high.
The French government also decided that tourists won’t be given free access to watch the opening ceremony because of security concerns. Free access will be invitation-only instead.
Extra security is also on hand for the Olympic torch relay, which passed on Friday through the monastery outcropping of Mont-Saint-Michel, which sees thousands of tourists daily. (AP)
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