'Brein' behind Charlie Hebdo attack gets life sentence

paris - French terrorism suspect Peter Chérif has been sentenced to life in prison in Paris for his involvement in a terrorist organization. He is considered the mastermind behind the attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in 2015.

The 42-year-old Chérif, also known as Abu Hamza, had a close relationship with one of the Kouachi brothers, the perpetrators of the bloody attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris. Twelve people were killed in the shooting at the editorial office. He himself denies having played a role.

Chérif is said to have organized the attack from Yemen, where he fled in 2011. There, he was associated with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and involved in the kidnapping of three French aid workers.

Chérif was arrested in Djibouti in 2018. Born in Paris, he reportedly radicalized quickly after converting to Islam in 2003.