The main suspect in Saturday’s terror attack in Paris has been named as Arman Rajabpour-Miyandoab, who was imprisoned for terror-related offenses in France in 2016, and has been in contact with multiple other Islamic terrorists, according to reports.
Rajabpour-Miyandoab, a 26-year-old French national of Iranian descent, killed one and injured another two as he screamed “Allah-hu Akbar!” this weekend. He was previously jailed for plotting a terrorist attack in the Paris’ business district of La Defense in 2016. He received a four-year sentence and lived with his parents after his release.
The suspect released a video shortly before the attack in which he declared himself a supporter of ISIS and pledged his allegiance to Caliph Abu Hafs, leader of the “Islamic State” terror faction. Rajabpour-Miyandoab confessed to launching the attack to “avenge Muslims” and said he could not watch “Arabs being killed in Afghanistan and Palestine.”
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmian told the press, “He is known to the intelligence and justice services… He had already wanted to carry out violent action but had been arrested before being able to do it.”
“He is being monitored as a person with very significant psychiatric disorders. He was also under psychiatric and neurological treatment,” Darmian added.
Before his imprisonment, Rajabpour-Miyandoab was reportedly in contact with jihadist fighters who had traveled to Syria to fight for ISIS. He allegedly also communicated with Abdoullakh Anzorov, who was responsible for beheading French teacher Samuel Paty in 2020.