Spanish court rules church assassination attack was terrorism

A Spanish court announced last week’s murder and attempted murder at two churches in Algeciras was likely a jihadist terrorist attack and placed the prime suspect in custody.

Spanish national court judge Joaquín Gadea remanded Moroccan Yasin Kanjaa in custody on charges of murder and attempted murder for terrorist purposes following statements made by the suspect after his arrest after last Wednesday’s deadly attack.

According to the judge, the actions of the Moroccan migrant “can be qualified as a direct jihadist attack, both against priests who profess the faith of the Catholic Church, both against Muslims and for the suspects who do not follow the precepts of the Koran”. Daily newspaper The world relationships.

The judge also noted that Kanjaa had not been on police radar and had not engaged in any activity prior to the attack that would have brought him to attention by authorities. However, the judge said Kanjaa had changed his attitude over the past month on social media, after drinking alcohol and smoking hashish.

“Possible Islamist terrorist attack”: priests stabbed in Spanish churches, one killed, several injured
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Kanjaa is believed to be self-radicalized and not formally linked to any terrorist group and the judge stated that he was well aware of what he was doing and that the attack was not the result of mental illness.

“The conduct of the suspect has been aware and has defined his objectives, having the possibility of causing greater damage, concentrates his action specifically on the subjects he attacks, which he deliberately chooses. The first against the priests, acknowledging that their intention was to kill all the priests who were in the church,” the judge said.

“Secondly, he focuses his attack on a Moroccan whom he considers unfaithful, believing he is dealing with a Moroccan convert, for not practicing the authentic religion, and whom he attacked with the intention of killing him,” he said.

The judge’s announcement now clarifies earlier speculation about last Wednesday’s attack, which saw several Catholic clergymen attacked and one killedit had been linked to Islamic racial extremism.

Reports also later revealed that Kanjaa had been subject to a deportation order from Spain since June last year. Santiago Abascal, leader of the populist-conservative party VOX, commented on the case by saying: “He had an expulsion order” and added: “How many more like him could there be in Spain?”