Paris kosher supermarket hero Lassana Bathily given French citizenship for bravery and calls for 'liberty, friendship and solidarity'

The Mali-born Muslim hid a group of customers in a store freezer until the attack was over

Wednesday 21 January 2015 10:00 GMT

Employee Lassan Bathily managed to sneak customers into a storeroom during the attack

A Malian national who hid customers during a siege on a kosher shop in Paris has been granted French citizenship for his bravery.

Employee Lassana Bathily managed to sneak customers into a storeroom after gunman Amedy Coulibaly burst into the supermarket in Port de Vincennes and killed four people.

Mr Bathily was presented with his citizenship at a ceremony in France yesterday evening. The event was attended by top officials, including France’s Prime Minister Manuel Valls and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve. He was given a French passport by Valls and also presented with a medal for his action.

At the ceremony Mr Bathily said, “Tonight, I am very proud but also very touched. I would like to thank everyone who truly believed in me, everyone that has always supported me.”

“People are calling me a hero but I am not a hero. I am Lassana and I will always just be myself,” he added.

Mr Bathily finished by saying, “Long live liberty. Long live friendship. Long live solidarity and long live friends,” leading members of the audience to give him a standing ovation.

The 24-year-old, who is Muslim, has lived in France for the past nine years and applied for citizenship back in 2014. Last night he said that he was “truly happy” to have a dual citizenship.

His act of bravery only came to light after he told local French news channel BFM-TV about how he led the group of customers to safety in a freezer, while Coulibaly walked through the store in the siege on 9 January. The extremist terrorist was later shot dead by police.

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

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In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

Members of the French police special forces evacuate the hostages after launching the assault at a kosher grocery store in Porte de Vincennes, eastern Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

Members of the French police special forces evacuate the hostages after launching the assault at a kosher grocery store in Porte de Vincennes, eastern Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

A security officer directs released hostages after they stormed a kosher market to end a hostage situation

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

Members of the French police special forces evacuate the hostages including a child (C) after launching the assault at a kosher grocery store in Porte de Vincennes, eastern Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

A general view of members of the French police special forces launching the assault at a kosher grocery store in Porte de Vincennes, eastern Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

French police forcibly stop young people on a scooter as they arrive near the scene of a hostage taking at a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

French police forcibly stop at gun point young people on a scooter as they arrive near the scene of a hostage taking at a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

French police special forces evacuate local residents in Saint-Mande, near Porte de Vincennes, eastern Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

People are led away from the scene as Police mobilize with reports of a hostage situation at Port de Vincennes in Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

People are led away from the scene as Police mobilize with reports of a hostage situation at Port de Vincennes in Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

Police are mobilized (L) with reports of a hostage situation at Port de Vincennes in Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

Police are mobilized with reports of a hostage situation at Port de Vincennes in Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

Police mobilize with reports of a hostage situation at Port de Vincennes in Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

Members of the French police special force advance with their equipment near the scene of a hostage taking at a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

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Police gather with reports of a hostage situation at Port de Vincennes in Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

Police officers gather on the closed ring road that circles Paris near a hostage-taking situation at a kosher market i

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

Emergency services workers arrive at a hostage-taking situation at a kosher market in Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

Members of the French police special force RAID take position in Saint-Mande, near Porte de Vincennes

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

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Police arrive with guns at Port de Vincennes in Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

Police arrive with guns at Port de Vincennes in Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

Police mobilize with reports of a hostage situation at Port de Vincennes

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

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Hooded police officers cross the closed ring road that circles Paris near a hostage-taking situation at a kosher market in Paris

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

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Police forces arrive at the scene where suspected armed man has taken hostages in kosher grocery in Paris

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In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

A general view of the scene of a hostages taking at a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris

@Fiaxhs

In pictures: Kosher grocery attack in Paris

Kosher grocery attack

A general view of the scene of a hostages taking at a kosher supermarket (seen in rear) in eastern Paris

@Fiaxhs

An online petition was set up calling for Mr Bathily to be given citizenship and gained over 420,000 supporters.

Mr Bathily had worked in the store for four years when the attack happened. After sneaking the customers into the cold room, he tried to convince them to escape in the shop lift but they feared that the noise would attract the attention of the gunman.

Despite the risk to himself, Mr Bathily managed to escape from the shop but was arrested by the police before he managed to convince him that he was an employee. He eventually helped the police with the layout of the supermarket as they prepared to raid it.

"Yes, I helped Jews get out. We're brothers," he said. "It's not that we're Jewish or Christian or Muslims, we're all in the same boat. You help so you can get through this attack," he told BFM-TV.

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