Eight people are on trial in Paris on terrorism charges for beheading a teacher four years ago.

Samuel Paty, 47 years old, was killed by an Islamic extremist near his school on October 16, 2020, in a attack that shocked France.

Police shot dead an 18-year-old Russian of Chechen origin, Abdullah Anzorov, shortly after the attack.

Mr Paty was attacked after he taught a course on freedom of speech for his secondary school students, when he showed caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed – an act considered blasphemous by many Muslims.

Among those on trial are friends of Anzorov who are accused of helping buy weapons for the attack.

Others in court are people who allegedly spread false information online about the teacher and his class.

Members of Mr Paty’s family, including his two sisters, were in court for the start of the trial, which is being held under high security.

Five of the accused, who are currently incarcerated, were placed in a wide glass box.

Three others, placed under judicial supervision, sat on the defendants’ benches outside the box.

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Much attention to the trial will focus on Brahim Chnina, the Muslim father of a teenager who was 13 at the time and who claimed she was kicked out of Mr Paty’s class when he showed the cartoons.

Chnina, 52, allegedly sent a series of messages to contacts denouncing Mr Paty, along with the address of the school in the Paris suburb of Conflans Saint-Honorine.

In reality, Chnina’s daughter had lied to him and had never attended the lesson in question.