Two elderly people from the Muslim community were assaulted on Friday-Saturday night in Amiens. The two attackers claimed to be from the far right, it was learned on Sunday from the Regional Council of the Muslim Faith in Picardy and the Somme prefecture.
The victims, two men aged 70 and 71, were attacked around five o’clock in the morning while they were on their way to the mosque in North Amiens for Fajr prayer, which takes place at dawn. After being violently abused by two men “with very short hair and claiming to belong to the extreme right” the two men were beaten up.
Their lives are not in danger, but they were admitted to Amiens hospital with injuries particularly to their legs and ribs, according to the Regional Council. Their attackers, meanwhile, had fled.
Two complaints were lodged on Saturday afternoon at the Amiens police station and an investigation has been launched by the Amiens prosecutor, the prefecture has confirmed, adding that the area where the assault took place was not equipped with CCTV cameras.
Via Islam in Europe
See also Courrier Picard, 7 May 2012