Tunisian suspect charged over Nice church attack, say prosecutors

Yasin Aouissaoui holds up a picture of his brother Brahim Aouissaoui, who fatally stabbed three people in a church in Nice in October

Credit: FETHI BELAID /AFP

The chief suspect in the fatal stabbings of three people in a church in the French city of Nice was charged on Monday with their murder, anti-terrorism prosecutors said.

Brahim Aouissaoui, a 21-year-old Tunisian national, was shot and seriously injured by police after the October 29 attack. He was charged after his condition in hospital improved, allowing him to be questioned.

France last month raised its attack alert to the highest level after the Nice killings, which came two weeks after the beheading of history teacher Samuel Paty by an 18-year-old Chechen refugee for having shown his pupils cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in a lesson on freedom of speech.

Mr Aouissaoui had arrived in Europe from Tunisia in September, first crossing the Mediterranean to Italy and then crossing into France overland.

He was shot several times by police after his killing spree.

This is a breaking news story. More to follow.