An 18-year-old French student, Mourad Hamyd, who turned himself into police after his name appeared over French media as an alleged suspect and accomplice in the Charlie Hebdo atrocity has reportedly been cleared. But not before receiving an onslaught of support from fellow students who took to social media declaring his innocence and suggesting he was in class with them at the time of the terrorist attack.
#MouradHamydInnocent hashtags made their way through Twitter as friends and students in various schools, including from Mourad’s, threw their support behind him. Mourad had been accused of driving the vehicle that was used to transport the terrorists who carried out the attacks.
One student suggested he had seen Mourad at school in the morning and that he was smiling as usual. “He would never [do such a thing]. Please support [him].”
Another wrote, “what is this madness. Mourad Hamyd was with me this morning”:
Wesh c’est quoi ce délire le “Mourad Hamyd” était avec moi ce matin @lestrepublicainpic.twitter.com/k7DtiMOCei
Mourad is reportedly back at home. A French Twitter user wrote that Mourad Hamyd is “well, he is back at his home. Out of respect for this person, do not talk about him and leave him alone. Thank you again!” That tweet (below) has been sent out several times and is now making its way around Twitter.
“False third suspect cleared,” someone tweeted out:
Another person suggested that while Mourad is no longer in custody, he will have the label of “suspected of terrorism” for all of his life:
Adelle Nazarian is on Twitter @AdelleNaz