France accuses man of plotting imminent attack

PARIS— Paris authorities filed preliminary terrorism charges Wednesday against a 34-year-old Frenchman for allegedly plotting an imminent attack and operating an explosives arsenal of what prosecutors called “unprecedented scale.”

Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins said Wednesday that the suspect, Reda Kriket, is accused of participating in a terrorist group with plans for at least one attack, possessing and transporting arms and explosives, and holding fake documents, among other charges. Kriket will stay in custody while magistrates continue investigating the case and determine whether to send him to trial.

Kriket is believed to have traveled to Syria in 2014 and 2015 and made several trips between France and Belgium and the Netherlands, Molins said. At least three other people are in custody in the case in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Molins did not say whether Kriket’s purported plot was linked to the Islamic State network behind last week’s attacks in Brussels, norwas a target identified.

Also Wednesday, French President Francois Hollande decided to abandon proposed legislation that would have revoked citizenship for convicted terrorists and strengthened the state of emergency declared after the Nov. 13 Paris attacks, because differences between the two houses of parliament could not be resolved.

In Belgium, an official said Wednesday that a laptop used by one of the Brussels bombers contained images of Prime Minister Charles Michel’s home and office in Royal Park.