The Spanish National Court on Monday opened the trial of Yassine Kanjaa, a Moroccan national accused of carrying out a terrorist attack in Algeciras (Cádiz) in January 2023, which left Bishop Diego Valencia dead and several others injured. The public prosecutor is seeking a 50-year prison sentence, arguing that Kanjaa was motivated by jihadist ideology following a period of religious radicalization in the months leading up to the attack. According to the indictment, Kanjaa entered the San Isidro Church on the evening of January 25, 2023, shouting phrases such as «The world will end» and «God» before attacking a passerby with a machete on Cristóbal Colón Street. He then returned to the church and assaulted the priest conducting mass, before moving on to another church, where he fatally attacked his final victim in Plaza Alta. During the opening sessions of the trial, a priest who witnessed the attack described Kanjaa as «calm», noting that he acted with «great focus on the victim». The witness said he has suffered severe psychological trauma since the incident, leaving him unable to leave his home for weeks. The prosecution noted that Kanjaa suffers from a psychotic disorder, possibly schizophrenia, which has impaired his mental faculties, though not to the extent of eliminating criminal responsibility. They requested that this be considered a partially mitigating factor in sentencing. The criminal panel of the National Court will decide at the conclusion of the proceedings whether Kanjaa is fully accountable for his actions. In April 2023, investigating judge Joaquín Gadea ordered that Kanjaa be transferred to a mental health facility for treatment.
