“We stand with you in solidarity and in commitment both to the cause of fighting extremism and in the cause which the extremists fear so much and which has always united our two countries – freedom,” Kerry said addressing French people.
Kerry agreed with a French imam, who called the killed reporters “martyrs for liberty,” and added that free expression and free press are core universal values that can never be eradicated.
On Wednesday, French government raised the country’s terror alert to the highest level, after three masked gunmen attacked offices of a French satirical magazine, killing 12 and severely wounding at least seven people. Attackers fled the scene.
Charlie Hebdo previously experienced an attack in November 2011 after publishing a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad.