Paris 2024: “Three attacks foiled during the Olympic Games”, the anti-terrorist prosecutor praises the work of the police

Les policiers ont parfaitement gérer la situation durant tous les JO. MAXPPP – Bruno Levesque

On Wednesday, anti-terrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen praised on franceinfo the "challenge met" by the French police and justice system with the absence of attacks during the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games (OPG) in Paris.

On Wednesday, anti-terrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen praised on franceinfo the "challenge met" by the French police and justice system with the absence of attacks during the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games (OPG) in Paris. “Ensuring security is a challenge that has been met thanks to a very heavy investment over several months”, noted the head of the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (Pnat).

Read also: Opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: “gratitude of the nation”, “security feat”… Emmanuel Macron congratulated the police

He highlighted the "preparation" of several actors including his prosecutor's office or the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) : "Thanks to this, there was no terrorist act committed on the territory during this period" of the 2024 Olympic Games. The magistrate recalled that there had been "three foiled attacks" during the period, “against bar-type establishments, around the Geooffroy-Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne”, “another group that had planned attacks against institutions and representatives of Israel in Paris” and finally “two people from Gironde who had planned to attack during the Olympic Games”.

“All those who planned these attacks were arrested, which led to five indictments”, including that of'“a minor", Mr. Christen said. They are all now incarcerated, he said. In addition to the judicial response, the prosecutor also mentioned the administrative response:  "936 home searches" in 2024, compared to "153 in 2023".

"Jihadist threat"

The "jihadist threat represents 80% of the procedures" initiated by the Pnat, he recalled, stressing that'"in the first half of 2024, there were approximately three times as many procedures" of this type than in the same period in 2023. According to him, this increase is explained by the "context geopolitics", but also by "the reconfiguration, particularly in Afghanistan" of the Islamic State group.

"Daesh has not disappeared, and is spreading propaganda that has an impact on the population", and in particular on minors who are "very sensitive". Like his predecessor Jean-François Ricard at the head of the Pnat, he insisted on the "very notable rejuvenation of those implicated in acts of terrorism".

Among the other threats, he noted that "Corsican terrorism had experienced a resurgence at the beginning of 2023, notably with a movement, the GCC (Ghjuventù Clandestina Corsa), which was able to be dismantled". "This means that this resurgence has not reproduced at the end of 2023 and in 2024″, Mr. Christen welcomed.