The man was admitted into the country even though the government knew that he had links to the Taliban. In an urgent court hearing, he was tried for not complying with stay in place orders and travelling to the city instead of remaining in the designated hotel. Four additional Afghans were placed under surveillance soon after their arrival for posing a terrorist threat.

Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, countries launched operations to evacuate people from the Middle Eastern country. France did likewise, evacuating not only French citizens, but also Afghan helpers – bringing nearly 2000 Afghan evacuees into France from Kabul. News of French authorities placing five men under individual surveillance (Micas) soon after their arrival provoked strong reactions. The Afghans were put under watch for posing a terrorist threat to France due to suspected links to the Taliban. In a recent interview, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told France Info that although the government was aware that one of the men was linked to the Taliban, he was rescued from Kabul as he had provided a great deal of help to French troops on the ground.

5 afghans ont été placés sous surveillance á leur arrivée en France afin de lever tout doute. Il n’y a pas eu de faille, notre vigilance est totale. Toutes les vérifications de sécurité sont réalisées avant leur arrivée en France. pic.twitter.com/A9BQXsFe0u

— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) August 24, 2021

The evacuee in question, along with his wife and three-month old baby, was placed in a hotel in the town of Noisy-le-Grand in the Seine-Saint-Denis department neighbouring Paris. Although he was not allowed to leave the location of confinement, he disregarded the order and travelled to the Paris city-centre where police apprehended him and immediately took him into custody.

The man was tried in an urgent court hearing, with prospects of a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a fine of 45 thousand euros. However, the prosecutor sought only a 12-month sentence with a six-month suspension, and in the end, the final ruling turned out to be a fraction of that: a suspended sentence of ten months in prison, Le Figaro reported.

The defendant, Ahmat M (born in 1991), claimed he had been a prosecutor in Afghanistan, and yet, presented several confusing explanations during the trial. Initially, he said he went to the city to buy medicines for the headache he had been suffering since his arrival in France. He then claimed he was following another man from the same hotel as Ahmat and his family, and that the man had allegedly offered to buy the necessary medicines for him. The Ahmat M followed the man, but was not aware that they were going to Paris. The court also heard the man in question, who told a completely different story, claiming that Ahmat M had asked him to accompany him to the capital to buy SIM cards.

Ahmat M also denied having been notified by the authorities that he was under surveillance. He said that he had not been present when the police officer and interpreter informed his family, and that the documents were signed by Ahmat M’s wife. The court, however, did not find this argument particularly convincing and finally handed down the suspended prison sentence.