French kosher market 'hero' granted citizenship
PARIS, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Lassana Bathily, the man hailed by some as a hero for helping to protect several hostages at a kosher market in France, received his expedited citizenship papers Tuesday.
Bathily, 24, a native of Mali and a Muslim, was an employee at Hyper Cacher grocery store where suspected terrorist Amedy Coulibaly took several people hostage, killing four Jan. 9. The hostage situation took place at the same time as a police standoff in Dammartin-en-Goele with brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi, the alleged gunmen who killed 12 people in an attack on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
When Coulibaly entered the market, Bathily told BFM TV he took 15 people downstairs and hid them in a freezer.
Bathily said he then escaped the market before police raided it and was able to give officials information about the layout of the store.
Bathily came to France from Mali nine years ago and applied for citizenship in July. The French government last week announced it would expedite his citizenship process in response to his participation in aiding the hostages at the market.
The government made good on that promise Tuesday, presenting Bathily with his citizenship papers in a ceremony broadcast on television.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised Bathily's actions on Jan. 9 as "the highest gesture of Islam and peace" and welcomed him as "the newest citizen at the heart of this country."
Bathily spoke at the ceremony.
"People tell me I am a hero. I am not a hero. I am trying to stay myself," he said. "I am very happy. Long live liberty! Long live friendship! Long live solidarity! Long live France!"
source: Lassana Bathily gets French citizenship, says he's no hero - UPI.com
PARIS, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Lassana Bathily, the man hailed by some as a hero for helping to protect several hostages at a kosher market in France, received his expedited citizenship papers Tuesday.
Bathily, 24, a native of Mali and a Muslim, was an employee at Hyper Cacher grocery store where suspected terrorist Amedy Coulibaly took several people hostage, killing four Jan. 9. The hostage situation took place at the same time as a police standoff in Dammartin-en-Goele with brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi, the alleged gunmen who killed 12 people in an attack on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
When Coulibaly entered the market, Bathily told BFM TV he took 15 people downstairs and hid them in a freezer.
Bathily said he then escaped the market before police raided it and was able to give officials information about the layout of the store.
Bathily came to France from Mali nine years ago and applied for citizenship in July. The French government last week announced it would expedite his citizenship process in response to his participation in aiding the hostages at the market.
The government made good on that promise Tuesday, presenting Bathily with his citizenship papers in a ceremony broadcast on television.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised Bathily's actions on Jan. 9 as "the highest gesture of Islam and peace" and welcomed him as "the newest citizen at the heart of this country."
Bathily spoke at the ceremony.
"People tell me I am a hero. I am not a hero. I am trying to stay myself," he said. "I am very happy. Long live liberty! Long live friendship! Long live solidarity! Long live France!"
source: Lassana Bathily gets French citizenship, says he's no hero - UPI.com
