RELEASED Terrorist Strikes!

A radicalized jihadi, released early from prison despite a 17-year terrorism sentence, executed a knife attack at Paris’s Arc de Triomphe just two months after authorities freed him under so-called “surveillance.”

Story Snapshot

Brahim Bahrir, 48, attacked gendarmes during a national ceremony on February 13, 2026, armed with a knife and scissors before being fatally shot by police
The French national served only 12 years of a 17-year sentence for a 2012 jihadist stabbing of Belgian police in Molenbeek, linked to Sharia4Belgium extremism
Authorities released Bahrir in December 2025 with daily check-ins and movement restrictions, yet he still carried out his “long-standing plan” to die attacking police
French President Macron condemned the incident as a “terrorist attack,” but the case exposes catastrophic failures in Europe’s monitoring of radicalized prisoners

Another Radicalized Prisoner Returns to Terror

Brahim Bahrir launched his attack shortly after 6:00 PM on February 13, 2026, targeting gendarmes securing musicians during a ceremony to relight the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe. The 48-year-old French national wielded a knife and scissors, striking one officer’s coat collar without causing injury. A second gendarme immediately fired his service weapon twice, hitting Bahrir in the chest. Despite firefighter treatment and transport to Georges-Pompidou Hospital, the attacker died from his wounds. France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation the same evening.

From Railway Worker to Jihadist Attacker

Bahrir’s radicalization began in 2012 after losing his job at SNCF, France’s national railway, and experiencing marital separation. He traveled to Molenbeek, Brussels—a notorious jihadist breeding ground—carrying an annotated article about Sharia4Belgium clashes over Belgium’s full-face veil ban. On June 8, 2012, Bahrir stabbed three Belgian police officers at Molenbeek’s Beekkant metro station, seriously injuring one female officer. He told investigators he sought revenge for “humiliated sisters” under the veil ban and Western military presence in Afghanistan. Belgian courts sentenced him to 17 years in June 2013 for premeditated murder linked to terrorism, weapons possession, and armed resistance.

Early Release Despite Terrorism Conviction

After serving approximately 12 years of his sentence, Bahrir received early release orders on June 17, 2025. Authorities freed him from prison in December 2025, placing him under judicial and administrative surveillance that included daily check-ins with police and strict movement restrictions. Yet within two months of his release, Bahrir successfully executed what investigators described as a premeditated plan to die by attacking security forces. This failure underscores what Le Monde identified as “difficulty in monitoring radicalized former prisoners,” a systemic problem plaguing both French and Belgian authorities. The attacker exploited gaps in cross-border surveillance despite supposedly intensive monitoring.

Macron’s Response Highlights Political Pressures

President Emmanuel Macron immediately condemned the incident as a “terrorist attack” and praised the gendarmes who neutralized the threat, noting gratitude that no officers sustained serious injuries. The PNAT confirmed Bahrir’s identity through police sources and detailed his Belgian conviction and monitoring status, though official releases withheld his name initially. The attack places renewed pressure on Macron’s counterterrorism policies and France’s prison release procedures, particularly as debates intensify over early releases for radicalized inmates. For American conservatives watching Europe’s struggles with jihadist violence, this case exemplifies the catastrophic consequences of lenient criminal justice policies that prioritize rehabilitation over public safety—a lesson relevant as the Trump administration strengthens border security and immigration enforcement to prevent similar threats domestically.

Surveillance Failures Expose European Weakness

Bahrir’s ability to plan and execute his attack despite daily police check-ins reveals fundamental weaknesses in European Union cross-border monitoring of radicalized individuals. The attacker moved between Belgium and France with a documented history of anti-Western jihadism, explicit statements about seeking martyrdom, and a terrorism conviction—yet surveillance systems failed to prevent his attack at one of Paris’s most iconic landmarks during a high-security national ceremony. This incident mirrors patterns from the 2015 Paris attacks and subsequent jihadist violence across Europe, where known radicals repeatedly exploit bureaucratic failures and lenient policies. For Americans concerned about national security, Europe’s experience demonstrates why robust immigration vetting, strict enforcement of terrorism-related sentences, and prioritization of public safety over political correctness remain essential to protecting citizens and preserving constitutional freedoms.