Louvre ‘Attacker’ Not a Terrorist, Says Official Report by France's Egyptian Community

On Saturday, the spokesperson for France's Egyptian community, Rizk Shehata, told Al-Arabiya that they filed an official detailed report with the country's anti-terrorism authorities, declaring that Abdallah Al-Hamahmy is innocent of the terror accusations made against him.

France has accused Al-Hamahmy of carrying out a terrorist attack at Paris’ Louvre Museum on Friday the 3^rd of February, as the 29-year-old attempted to enter the premises with two machetes, before being shot in the stomach five times by French soldiers. According to French police, Al-Hamahmy drew one of the machetes in his bag and attacked one of the soldiers. 

Shehata, on the other hand, claims that a French soldier asked Al-Hamahmy to stop as he was entering the museum. The officer then started yelling at the Egyptian man - who reportedly doesn't understand French - when he did not stop, which then led to the altercation, and Al-Hamahmy drawing his knife.

The suspect is currently refusing to speak to investigators as he undergoes treatment for his wounds, which are no longer life-threatening.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry has also remained silent on the details of the attack, yet continues to assure everyone that Egypt’s ties with France have not been affected.

Photo Credit: Reuters.