Mourad Hamyd, 20, brother-in-law of Chérif Kouachi, arrested in Bulgaria on suspicion of trying to join Isis in Syria

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

The brother-in-law of one of the Islamic extremists who attacked the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo last year was indicted and jailed on Saturday on suspicion of trying to join Islamic State (Isis) in Syria.

French investigators said Mourad Hamyd, 20, faced preliminary terrorism charges. He was arrested on a French warrant in Bulgaria last month on suspicion of trying to travel to Syria to join Isis. He has denied the allegations.

Paris attacks inquiry finds multiple failings by French intelligence agencies Read more

He was handed over to France by Bulgaria on Friday after a European arrest warrant was issued over alleged “association of terrorist conspiracy to prepare acts of terrorism”.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said on Saturday that French citizen Hamyd had been remanded in custody. Hamyd is the brother-in-law of Chérif Kouachi, one of two brothers who attacked Charlie Hebdo’s Paris office in January 2015, killing 12.

A high school student at the time, Hamyd was briefly detained on suspicion of having a role in the attack, but classmates said he was in school at the time.