Former CERN Physicist Jailed in Terrorist Plot
Adlene Hicheur, a 35-year-old Algerian-born nuclear physicist who worked in Switzerland’s CERN laboratory, was sentenced to five years in prison by a French court for "criminal association with a view to plotting terrorist attacks" on a French barracks with al-Qaida’s North African affiliate.
Adlene Hicheur, a 35-year-old Algerian-born nuclear physicist who worked in Switzerland’s CERN laboratory, was sentenced to five years in prison by a French court for “criminal association with a view to plotting terrorist attacks” on a French barracks with al-Qaida’s North African affiliate.
Claiming to have only explored jihadist ideas without any plans to carry them out, Hicheur says he is a victim of overzealous French anti-terror laws. –ARK
In these critical times, your support is crucial...The Guardian:
The case centred on about 35 emails between Hicheur and an alleged contact with al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb through Mustapha Debchi, who tried to convince him to carry out a suicide bombing. Hicheur declined, but in one response suggested striking at the barracks of a battalion of elite Alpine troops in the eastern town of Cran-Gevrier.
Hicheur claimed he was on morphine for a herniated disc and was going through a personal “zone of turbulence” when he wrote an email in 2009 that advocated an attack on the barracks.
As we navigate an uncertain 2025, with a new administration questioning press freedoms, the risks are clear: our ability to report freely is under threat.
Your tax-deductible donation enables us to dig deeper, delivering fearless investigative reporting and analysis that exposes the reality behind the headlines — without compromise.
"Truthdig’s a lifeline for anyone who values democracy especially during these challenging times.”
— Fernando Villamare, Los Angeles, CA
Now is the time to take action. Stand with our courageous journalists. Donate today to protect a free press, uphold democracy and uncover the stories that need to be told.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.