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Turkey seizes Paris attack suspect at border

Turkey has detained a Belgian citizen of Moroccan origin suspected of links to the Paris attacks and who was seeking to flee to Syria, a government official said Saturday.

Published: 21 November 2015 16:02 CET
Turkey seizes Paris attack suspect at border
Ahmad Dahmani, 26, is led away by Turkish police. Photo: Ihlas News Agency/AFP
Ahmad Dahmani, 26, is accused of being “in contact” with the Islamist extremists who carried out the attacks in Paris that killed 130 people and were claimed by Islamic State (IS) jihadists, the official added.
 
He was detained close to the southern resort city of Antalya along with two others, reportedly Syrian citizens who were to help him cross the border into Syria.
 
“The security forces stated that Dahmani is an ISIS militant who was preparing to illegally cross the Turkish-Syrian border,” said the official. “We believe that Dahmani was in contact with the terrorists who perpetrated the Paris attacks. The investigation continues.
   
Pictures showed Dahmani — wearing a Ferrari sports jacket and with his hands behind his back — being led away by plain clothes police.
 
The Dogan news agency reported earlier that Dahmani had carried out reconnaissance work to scout out targets for the attacks in Paris. However this was not confirmed by the government official.
 
Anti-terror police had followed Dahmani after he arrived at Antalya's airport and checked into a five-star hotel in the luxury resort of Manavgat to the east of the city on November 16, Dogan said.
 
They then detained him and the two Syrians, who the report said had been tasked by the IS leadership to supply him with a fake passport and take Dahmani to safety in jihadist-controlled Syria, the report added.
 
It was not immediately clear when they had been detained. All three were taken to court and are in prison, the official added.
 
Turkish officials said he had arrived at Antalya's airport on a flight from Amsterdam on November 14.
 
Antalya had only one week ago hosted — under the heaviest security — the annual Group of 20 summit of world leaders including US President Barack Obama and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
 
Turkey has long been accused by its Western allies of failing to do enough to halt the flow of jihadists across its border to IS controlled-territory in northern Syria.
 
However the authorities have been making conscious efforts in recent weeks to tighten Turkey's borders, making almost daily arrests of extremists seeking to join IS.
 
Ankara has repeatedly urged European states to fully share intelligence on suspected jihadists and Turkish officials accused the Belgian authorities of falling short on this occasion.
 
Turkish officials said that the police arrested Dahmani based on information from the Turkish intelligence services, not from foreign partners.
 
Turkey has issued entry bans for some 26,600 suspected jihadists largely based on intelligence issued by allies, according to government data.
 
But Turkey had no entry ban flagged for Dahmani as there was no record of the Belgian authorities warning about him.
 
“Had the Belgian authorities alerted us in due time, Dahmani could have been apprehended at the airport,” said the official. “We urge our allies to continue sharing information with us,” said the official.

PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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