An Egyptian national who reportedly plotted a terrorist act against Notre-Dame de Paris will face a French court. The case has been reported by outlets covering the French justice system and security updates.
Authorities detained a 62-year-old man from Egypt who, according to the ministry, has links to ISIS, a group banned in Russia. The arrest occurred on March 5, and three days later the suspect was formally charged. He was placed in custody after officials alleged he intended to strike a church that appeared to be among the targets of interest during the ongoing security investigations.
New details indicate that the intended target was Notre-Dame de Paris, the city’s landmark that has been undergoing restoration since a major fire in April 2019. During Holy Week, several worshippers gathered for the Easter procession outside the cathedral. Officials expect the building to reopen and resume public services on December 8 after extensive renovations.
During a recent briefing, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal noted that France has raised its security alert to the highest level following a terrorist incident at a venue near Moscow. He added that two suspected extremist plots had already been uncovered in the current year. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said in an interview with France 2 that French intelligence has faced an unusually high number of planned attacks by the Islamic State in recent months.
“We prevent many terrorist plots, roughly every two months,” the minister stated.
Earlier reports indicated that the ceremonial opening of the 2024 Olympic Games could be affected if a threat materialized, with unconfirmed concerns about lone actors using vehicles to target crowds or engaging in gun violence at the event. Officials have repeatedly stressed the importance of vigilance and rapid response measures to deter such threats.
There were previous indications that a Telegram user had interactions with individuals connected to extremist groups linked to Crocus. There are ongoing discussions about deportation measures connected to Russian authorities as part of broader counterterrorism efforts.
Analysts stress that high-profile events in major cities require layered security strategies, including intelligence gathering, crowd management, and rapid incident response. The aim is to deter, detect, and disrupt threats before they can cause harm. In Paris, authorities continue to work closely with national security partners to monitor potential plots, assess risks, and adapt to evolving tactics used by extremist networks. The public is urged to remain informed through official channels and to report suspicious activity promptly to law enforcement.