The rapid path to radicalization of the Nice, France attacker

(Baonghean.vn) - According to the investigation, the police have not found any evidence that Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, the driver who drove into a crowd in Nice, France, had any links to terrorism. However, before carrying out the attack, he often searched for the Koran and researched information about the attacks.

Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel. Screenshot

Paris prosecutor Molins said that, up to this point, the investigation has not found any evidence to prove that Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel pledged allegiance to the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) or had any "contact with individuals claiming to belong to this organization".

However, from July 1 to 13, the day before the attack, Bouhlel searched for information about the Koran almost every day, researched the Orlando and Dallas shootings, as well as the Magnanville (Yvelines) attack.

Investigators also found on his computer “images related to radical Islam, especially of jihadists carrying the flag of the terrorist group Daech (Arabic acronym IS)”.

There is also information about the attack on Charlie Hebdo newspaper, pictures of Bin Laden and Algerian jihadist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar.

Prosecutor Molins said the evidence proved that Bouhlel was not a Muslim as he did not perform Muslim rituals, ate pork, drank alcohol, used drugs and had an excessive sex life.

In addition, he was a man who was “extremely violent towards his wife and children.”

Eight days before the crime, he grew a beard - a sign of religion.

The prosecutor then stressed that “extremism” can escalate more quickly when an individual’s “interests are disturbed or the individual is attracted to violent actions.”

The investigation is still unclear about Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel's motive, but Mr Molins described him as a "local terrorist" whose actions were aimed at "seriously disturbing public order through intimidation and terror".

Chu Thanh

(According to Le Monde)