"Religious Freedom Is Inviolable" – Macron Strongly Condemns Killing of Muslim Worshipper in Southern France

"Religious Freedom Is Inviolable" – Macron Strongly Condemns Killing of Muslim Worshipper in Southern France
According to a report by France 24:

French President Emmanuel Macron has strongly condemned the brutal killing of a Muslim worshipper in a mosque in southern France. He stated that “racism and religious hatred have no place in France.”

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Macron wrote, “Religious freedom is inviolable,” and pledged to stand with “our Muslim citizens” following Friday’s attack. The incident occurred in the village of La Grand-Combe in the Gard region.

Prime Minister François Bayrou condemned the incident, calling it an “Islamophobic act of brutality.”

The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) described the event as “an Islamophobic terrorist attack” and called on the Muslim community to remain vigilant.

Jewish organizations also reacted strongly to the murder. The Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) labeled it “a heinous crime,” stating, “It is a crime that shakes the heart of every French citizen.”

According to eyewitnesses and information from France Info, the accused attacker—identified as Olivier H., a French citizen of Bosnian descent born in 2004—surrendered at a police station in Pistoia, Italy, on Sunday night. After being on the run for several days, he turned himself in to the authorities.

He is currently in custody, and extradition proceedings have been initiated for his return to France.

Police reported that the victim, a 24-year-old Malian national, was stabbed 40 to 50 times inside the mosque during early morning prayers on Friday.