Four men charged in connection with Paris attacks

Men suspected of providing logistical support to gunman Amedy Coulibaly

An undated screen grab of Amedy Coulibaly  in a video that police are still investigating. Photograph: New York Times
An undated screen grab of Amedy Coulibaly in a video that police are still investigating. Photograph: New York Times

Four men with ties to one of the gunmen responsible for three days of terror in Paris are the first to be charged in connection with the attacks that left 20 people dead, the chief Paris prosecutor has said.

Francois Molins said four men were handed preliminary charges overnight of association with terrorism.

They are suspected of providing logistical support to gunman Amedy Coulibaly, who killed a policewoman on the outskirts of Paris and then four hostages at a kosher supermarket.

The four were placed in custody while investigations continue.

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Three of the four charged men have criminal records and at least one met Coulibaly in prison, Mr Molins said.

He added that authorities in France are working with other countries to search for other possible accomplices.

Investigators are trying to uncover who was responsible for a posthumous video of Coulibaly, which was edited and released days after he and the Charlie Hebdo gunmen, Said and Cherif Kouachi, were killed by police.

In the video, Coulibaly pledges allegiance to Islamic State and details how the attacks were co-ordinated by the three men.