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A 29-year-old man from Pakistan, Zaheer Mahmood, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for trying to murder two individuals with a meat cleaver outside the former offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris in 2020.

Mahmood's attack targeted two employees of Premieres Lignes news agency in response to Charlie Hebdo republishing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Unaware that Charlie Hebdo had relocated after a previous attack, Mahmood's actions resulted in serious injuries to the victims.

Convicted of attempted murder and terrorist conspiracy, Mahmood will face a lifetime ban from France upon completing his sentence. Additionally, five other accomplices, some underage at the time of the crimes, received prison terms ranging from three to 12 years for supporting Mahmood in his terrorist activities.

During the trial, it was revealed that Mahmood was influenced by a radical Pakistani preacher to carry out the attack as vengeance for the Prophet. The court learned that Mahmood meticulously planned his assault following the republication of the controversial cartoons.

Despite Mahmood's pleas for forgiveness, his victims, a 32-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man, both deeply affected by the incident, did not accept his apologies. The male victim recounted the emotional toll of the attack during the court proceedings, expressing the profound impact it had on him.

Having entered France illegally in 2017 under false pretenses, Mahmood misrepresented his arrival date and age. His defense lawyer highlighted Mahmood's social isolation and disconnection from French society, emphasizing his strong ties to the Pakistani community.