Convicted Jihadist Seeks Repatriation to France Amid Ongoing Legal Proceedings
Adrien Guihal, implicated in the 2016 Nice attack, requests return from Syrian detention
Adrien Guihal, also known as Abou Oussama al-Faransi, has filed a request for repatriation to France amid a legal challenge in the Paris Administrative Court of Appeal.
Guihal, 40, has been subject to an international arrest warrant since 2015 for his alleged involvement with the Islamic State (IS) and is notably recognized for having provided the audio claim for the July 14, 2016, attack in Nice that resulted in 86 fatalities.
Captured in May 2018 in Raqqa, Syria, once the de facto capital of the Islamic State, Guihal has been described as one of the highest-ranking living officials of the organization, according to his attorney, Étienne Mangeot.
Guihal, a native of Seine-Saint-Denis, converted to Islam in 2002 and had previously been arrested in 2008 for a plot targeting the French intelligence services.
After his release from prison in 2012, he co-managed a car repair garage in the Paris region that was frequented by other jihadists.
In December 2022, Guihal's mother requested his repatriation from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a request that was implicitly denied.
Subsequently, an appeal to the administrative tribunal was also ruled out on grounds of jurisdiction in 2023. The current appeal aims for the court to compel a ruling that would direct the French government to arrange the repatriation of French detainees in Syria, including Guihal.
Guihal is currently held in Derik prison in northern Syria, alongside two other French detainees, all under the control of Kurdish forces.
According to Mangeot, these individuals are among 66 French nationals in harsh detention conditions, facing a significant risk to their lives.
He raised concerns over the potential risks posed to France if these individuals, suspected of ties to IS, remain in Syria, suggesting that their confinement within France’s judicial system would be more secure for national safety.
Since the collapse of the Islamic State's territorial claims six years ago, the French government has maintained a cautious stance regarding the repatriation of French nationals who fought in Syria, typically limiting operations to women and children.
Between 2022 and 2023, France successfully repatriated 166 children and 57 women.
Following these operations, the government refrained from further repatriations, despite international calls for comprehensive actions, including a 2022 ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
As the legal proceedings continue, a court decision regarding Guihal’s appeal is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Guihal, 40, has been subject to an international arrest warrant since 2015 for his alleged involvement with the Islamic State (IS) and is notably recognized for having provided the audio claim for the July 14, 2016, attack in Nice that resulted in 86 fatalities.
Captured in May 2018 in Raqqa, Syria, once the de facto capital of the Islamic State, Guihal has been described as one of the highest-ranking living officials of the organization, according to his attorney, Étienne Mangeot.
Guihal, a native of Seine-Saint-Denis, converted to Islam in 2002 and had previously been arrested in 2008 for a plot targeting the French intelligence services.
After his release from prison in 2012, he co-managed a car repair garage in the Paris region that was frequented by other jihadists.
In December 2022, Guihal's mother requested his repatriation from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a request that was implicitly denied.
Subsequently, an appeal to the administrative tribunal was also ruled out on grounds of jurisdiction in 2023. The current appeal aims for the court to compel a ruling that would direct the French government to arrange the repatriation of French detainees in Syria, including Guihal.
Guihal is currently held in Derik prison in northern Syria, alongside two other French detainees, all under the control of Kurdish forces.
According to Mangeot, these individuals are among 66 French nationals in harsh detention conditions, facing a significant risk to their lives.
He raised concerns over the potential risks posed to France if these individuals, suspected of ties to IS, remain in Syria, suggesting that their confinement within France’s judicial system would be more secure for national safety.
Since the collapse of the Islamic State's territorial claims six years ago, the French government has maintained a cautious stance regarding the repatriation of French nationals who fought in Syria, typically limiting operations to women and children.
Between 2022 and 2023, France successfully repatriated 166 children and 57 women.
Following these operations, the government refrained from further repatriations, despite international calls for comprehensive actions, including a 2022 ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
As the legal proceedings continue, a court decision regarding Guihal’s appeal is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
