US shares ISIS intelligence with France as trial examines recruitment networks
US shares ISIS intelligence with France; 1,500 French nationals joined ISIS territories.
Event / Security
Othman Garrido ISIS Trial
Trial of French national Othman Garrido for murders and assassinations committed in Iraq and Syria between 2012-2020 while affiliated with ISIS. Evidence includes photographs of decapitated bodies. Garrido admits witnessing executions but maintains innocence on primary murder charges.
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2026-09-14 to 2026-11-06 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 14 Sept, 11:00 UTC
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What happened
French jihadist Othman Garrido tried in Paris for murders committed under ISIS rule
Othman Garrido, a 32-year-old French national from Montpellier, appeared before the special assizes court of Paris starting September 14, 2026, to face charges of assassination and murder committed in Iraq and Syria between 2012 and 2020 under ISIS rule. He remained in ISIS-controlled territories for eight years before being arrested and expelled by Turkey to France in 2020.
ISIS evidence transferred to French investigators by United States coalition
Photographs and evidence on a hard drive were transmitted to French investigators by the United States, which led the international coalition that defeated ISIS in 2019.
Garrido confessed to attending public execution of two Iranian victims
Garrido acknowledged attending the public execution in 2015 of two Iranian nationals at Al-Qaryatayn in central Syria, where photographs show him posing and smiling alongside the jihadist executioners.
Garrido previously convicted to 15 years in 2017 for joining ISIS
In a separate proceeding in 2017, Garrido was sentenced to 15 years of criminal imprisonment for joining ISIS ranks, participating in combat, and inciting French Muslims to commit violent actions. He was still in Syria at the time of that trial and is scheduled to be retried in his presence on these charges on September 22, 2026.
Garrido's father died as suicide bomber, two brothers killed in combat
Othman Garrido's father, a Franco-Spanish convert, died as a suicide bomber in ISIS-controlled territory in 2016. Both of his brothers were killed in combat in the same territory. Garrido is the sole surviving male member of his family.
Trial scheduled to conclude September 21, 2026
The trial before the special assizes court is scheduled to continue through September 21, 2026, with extensive testimony from family witnesses and experts to assess the accused's personality and history.
Garrido voluntarily joined ISIS in Syria in 2012 at age 18
At age 18 in 2012, Garrido voluntarily traveled to Syria and initially joined Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, before transitioning to ISIS following a split between the two groups. He was born into a family steeped in jihadist ideology, experienced religiously-dominated childhood, and was removed from school at age 12 to work in markets with his father.
Garrido faces life imprisonment if convicted
If convicted on charges of assassination and murder, Othman Garrido faces criminal imprisonment for life (réclusion criminelle à perpétuité).
Photographs of decapitated bodies form core evidence in ISIS murder trial
Photographs of decapitated corpses recovered from a mobile phone form the primary evidence in the trial. One image shows a partially masked man posing before a decapitated body with the severed head at his feet, raising an index finger in an ISIS allegiance gesture with visible blood on his hands. Another series of photographs from 2015 documents the public execution of two Iranian individuals at Al-Qaryatayn in central Syria, showing jihadists posing around the corpses with severed heads placed on the bodies. Garrido appears in these photographs holding two French jihadists identified as Yacine Rettoun and Oumar Diaw, and in photographs showing him in a pickup truck transporting the Iranian victims to the execution site.
Approximately 1,500 French nationals joined ISIS-controlled territories
Approximately 1,500 French nationals, including Othman Garrido, traveled to and joined territories controlled by the former ISIS caliphate.
Evidence suggests Garrido undergoing ideological deradicalization in detention
Psychiatrists and psychologists have noted that Garrido appears to have begun distancing himself from jihadist discourse while in detention. Prison administration documented in April 2023 that he appeared to be undergoing ideological deradicalization. His defense attorney states that Garrido has made progress and is genuinely engaged in moving away from extremism.
Accused jihadist admits resemblance to photograph but denies being executioner
Othman Garrido admitted physical resemblance to the masked man in the decapitated corpse photograph but consistently denied being the presumed executioner. He suggested the possibility that the person in the photograph could be one of his brothers. The photograph lacks a date, geolocation data, victim identification, and formal expert identification of the masked individual. His defense attorney argued that the photograph does not conclusively prove Garrido was the assassin.
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2 alternative perspectives
From ISIS fighter to ideological shift: Garrido's path in custody
Garrido exhibits ideological deradicalization in custody while facing trial for ISIS-related murders in Syria.
Photographs, confession key as Paris court weighs ISIS murder charges
Garrido admits attending ISIS execution but denies conducting it; photographs are central evidence.