Charlie Hebdo republishes old cartoons on eve of 2015 terrorist massacre trial in Paris

French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, the target of the massacre by terrorists in 2015, on Tuesday republished the cartoons allegedly denigrating religion as 14 suspected accomplices go on trial in Paris. Dozens of people were killed in this attack on the offices of the French weekly. The editorial team of Charlie Hebdo said that this is the right time to reprint the cartoons. 

"We will never lie down. We will never give up," director Laurent "Riss" Sourisseau wrote in an editorial to go with the cartoons in the latest edition. Laurent Riss also wrote, "The hatred that struck us is still there and, since 2015, it has taken the time to mutate, to change its appearance, to go unnoticed and to quietly continue its ruthless crusade."

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Charlie Hebdo republishes controversial cartoons

Almost five-and-a-half years later, the accomplices suspected to be involved in the terrorist attack led by brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi will go on trial in Paris. In this attack, 12 people including France's most talented cartoonists were gunned down on January 7, 2015. The cover of the first republished cartoon was first published in Danish daily Jyllands Posten in 2005. Later Charlie Hebdo also reprinted these in 2006. The trial will begin from September 3 in Paris.

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READ | Charlie Hebdo Terrorism Trial To Begin In Paris

Reacting to this, the French Council of Muslim Faith tweeted, "Thought for the victims of terrorism in Paris, France in Jan and Nov 2015, Toulouse and Montauban 2012, Nice and St Étienne de Rouvray 2016. This terrorism is our enemy. The freedom to make caricatures and the freedom to dislike them are guaranteed and nothing can justify violence." 

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