Paris ( CNN ) Lassana Bathily , who emerged as the hero of the Paris supermarket attack , received his new French passport from the hands of Prime Minister Manuel Valls and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve at a ceremony in Paris . The French government decided to award citizenship to the Malian-born 24-year-old supermarket employee after he risked his own life to hide customers from hostage-taker Amedy Coulibaly earlier this month . Four people lost their lives in the hostage-taking and shooting at the kosher grocery store . But the 15 people whom Bathily led downstairs to hide in a walk-in freezer stayed safe . Bathily , who describes himself as a `` practicing Muslim , '' told CNN affiliate BFMTV he switched off the freezer , turned off the lights and told everyone to stay calm . He went upstairs , following orders from the hostage-taker , but managed to run outside and tell police about the situation in the store . In his opening speech at the ceremony Tuesday evening , Cazeneuve praised Bathily 's gesture `` of courage and humanity '' which had become `` the symbol of an Islam of peace and tolerance . '' Bathily , who arrived in France when he was 16 , had dreamed of gaining French citizenship since his childhood . `` Today , this dream is becoming true , a bit faster than expected , '' Cazeneuve said . Valls also paid tribute to the courage of the young man . `` With you and with all the people in this room , '' the Prime Minister said , `` we just saw one of the most beautiful images of our country . '' Valls also recalled the strong ties between France and Mali , a `` country which saw Timbuktu being wrecked by terrorists , '' and which received French support in its fight against jihadism . The French military has been involved in fighting Islamist extremists in Mali and the wider Sahel region since early 2013 . Both Valls and Cazeneuve emphasized the importance of keeping French citizenship open in order to remain faithful to the Republican ideal . `` Welcoming new French citizens is an opportunity for the country as well as for those who become French , '' Valls said . Bathily then took the floor . `` I thank you with all my heart for awarding me French citizenship . I am proud and moved , '' the young man said . `` People think I am a hero , but I am not . I am just Lassana . '' At the end of the ceremony , Bathily received his passport together with a letter from President Francois Hollande and the `` citizenship kit '' distributed to all new French citizens . Coulibaly , the terrorist killed in the police operation that ended the supermarket attack , also had roots in Mali . But , unlike Bathily , he was born in France and had French citizenship .
France granted immunity to Michel Bathily for his actions during the Paris bombing . ` ` People think I am a hero , but I am not . I am just Lassana , '' he said .