'Je suis Charlie': French paper Charlie Hebdo reprints Muhammad caricatures on eve of first trial of Jan 2015 attacks

The French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo reprinted caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, whose staff was killed in a terrorist attack by Islamic extremists in 2015.

The magazine declared "history cannot be rewritten nor erased."

The caricatures were reprinted on Tuesday, on the eve of the first trial for the January 2015 attacks against Charlie Hebdo. The caricatures re-published this week were first printed in the fall of 2005 by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, setting off sometimes violent protests in early 2006 by Muslims who believe depicting Muhammad is blasphemy.

Thirteen men and a woman accused of providing the attackers with weapons and logistics go on trial Wednesday. 

The paper, known for its irreverent take on matters, stated that it was necessary to print those caricatures as it was the opening day of the trial. Since the attack, the newspaper declined to publish caricatures of Muhammad.

The attack at Charlie Hebo's office sparked off a wave of violence claimed by the Islamic State group across Europe.

Out of the 17 people who died after attacks against Charlie Hebdo and, two days later, a kosher supermarket, 12 of them were from the editorial offices along with all three attackers.

The Charlie Hebdo attack was carried out by brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi, who died in a police assault two days later.

As the attackers, brothers Chrif and Said Kouachi, walked away from the carnage, they cried out 'We have avenged the Prophet.'

They then killed a wounded policeman from a point-blank range Claiming the attacks in the name of al-Qaida.  

The Charlie Hebdo attack was followed a day later by the killing of a trainee policewoman by Amedy Coulibaly, an Islamic State loyalist. The following day he attacked a Jewish store on the edge of Paris, where he killed four hostages before police killed him.