The long-awaited trial of 20 accused of participating in the wave of terrorist attacks in 2015 begins Paris They were interrupted when the main suspect accused the French authorities of treating them “like a dog”.
In an outbreak that angered the survivors and relatives of the victims on Wednesday, Salah Abdul Slam jumped up from the dock, took off his mask and pointed at the president of the court.
“We should be treated like people. We are not dogs,” he said.
When Chief Justice Jean-Louis Perrier tried to interrupt, the 31-year-old Abdeslam continued: “It’s lovely here, with flat screens and air-conditioning, but it’s over there. [prison] We are abused, we are like dogs. “
This statement caused anger behind the court, and a voice responded: “And we, we have suffered 130 deaths, you bastard.”
For the past six years, the survivors of the Paris terrorist attack and the relatives of 130 victims have been waiting for Abdul Slam’s reply. For nearly six years, the man accused of being the only surviving member of a jihadist group that carried out killings in the French capital has remained stubborn and almost completely silent. In court on Wednesday, aside from complaints of abuse, Abdeslam remained taciturn.
Soon after announcing the “criminal hearing” and launching a marathon-style legal process that was planned to last nine months, the main suspect wearing a black mask and black T-shirt was the first of the 14 defendants present. Court processing.
Asked his name, he took off his mask, revealing his bushy beard. “First of all, I would say that there is no other God except Allah and Muhammad as his messengers.”
“Yes, we’ll talk about it later,” Perrier replied.
The suspect stated that his date of birth was September 15, 1989. When asked about his address, Abdeslam said he did not. His parents’ names? “The names of my father and my mother have nothing to do with this.”
When asked what his occupation is, he replied: “I have given up all occupations and become a soldier of the Islamic State.”
Subsequently, Victor Edu, the lawyer for eight Batakland survivors, described the statement as “very violent” towards his client.
“Some of them are not doing very well… after hearing what they think is a new direct threat statement,” Edo said. “That’s it for nine months.”
Others said they tried not to value comments. “I’m not afraid,” said Thierry Mallet, a Batakland survivor.
s attack November 13, 2015 It killed 130 people and injured hundreds. Fourteen suspects were on the dock; six others were tried in their absence, five of whom were presumed to have died in Iraq or Syria, and the last one was in a Turkish prison.
After the other defendants were asked to identify themselves and read the names of the absent suspects, Perrier told the court: “Today we have begun an unusual trial with historical significance. Of course it is historically significant because it involves engraving on us. Events in collective memory; this is certainly unusual considering the number of victims, civil parties, and lawyers.
“But we must immediately integrate normality, especially the right of defense. The function of the court is to deal with allegations against the people sent here by listening to everyone’s opinions: civil parties, prosecution, defense. We must keep all this in mind; I know I can count on you.”
11 defendants were sent from four different prisons to the Palace of Justice for trial. The trial will hear the opinions of 300 lawyers and about 300 of the 1,750 civil parties, including survivors, relatives of victims, and people directly affected by the attack . Perrier will preside over the court with eight other professional judges.
The court is a temporary building inside the court and is the largest criminal trial scene in the history of the United States. FranceThe Islamic State claimed responsibility for a series of coordinated attacks, including the suicide bombing at the French Stadium and the massacre at Bataclan Concert Hall, as well as driving shootings and suicide bombings in cafes and restaurants.
According to reports, about 1,000 police and gendarmes were deployed to maintain security and to blockade the area around the Palace of Justice on an island in the Seine to transfer vehicles, pedestrians and buses.
Abdeslam is a French citizen born in Brussels who allegedly played a central role in international logistics operations involving the return of jihadists. Europe From Syria. It is believed that he escorted three bombers that blew up at the Stade de France. He was suspected of planning a suicide attack in the 18th arrondissement of Paris and then withdrew. The police found a suicide vest that they thought he was planning to use in the trash can.
In March 2016, he conducted a four-month search in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, a suburb of Brussels, and was eventually arrested after a gun battle with the police. A few days later, he allegedly committed a suicide bombing. Belong to the same cell Attacks at Brussels airport and subway, Resulting in 32 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
During the attack, Abdeslam’s brother blew himself up in a bar in Paris. Also on trial was the 36-year-old Mohamed Abrini, Abdeslam’s childhood friend who was believed to have traveled to the Paris area with the attacker, and later he and two Brussels The airport bomber was captured by CCTV.
