2016 attacks in Brussels: Denouncing an “unfair” trial, Salah Abdeslam refuses to appear – 20 Minutes

Salah Abdeslam, sentenced to life imprisonment in France for the attacks of November 13, 2015, refused Monday to appear in Brussels at the trial of the attacks committed in March 2016 in the Belgian capital by the same jihadist cell, noted AFP. French jihadist, who is one of ten accused at trial, was taken from his cell when he did not plan to appear at this procedural hearing, according to his lawyers. A few minutes after the opening of the hearing, around 09:30 (07:30 GMT), he wished to leave the box. “The way you treat us is unfair”, he denounced to the address of the president. He alluded to the conditions of appearance in closed and glazed individual boxes, compared to “cages” by defense lawyers, and limiting the possibilities of communication according to them. Several lawyers were counting on Monday to ask for its “demolition”. On Monday morning, the nine defendants who are to appear were all taken from prison (a tenth, presumed dead in Syria, is tried in absentia). But several immediately criticized these boxes after appearing in court. “We’re like dogs here,” thundered Tunisian Sofien Ayari, accomplice in Abdeslam’s escape, banging his fist on the wall of his box. Three defendants remain While he had initially expressed the wish to stay, Salah Abdeslam , thin beard and blue and white striped polo shirt, changed his mind when he saw that Mohamed Abrini, Sofien Ayari and other co-defendants were being escorted out of their box. is not your decision, these boxes”, but because of this “the trial begins in an unfair way”. “Most of the defendants do not want to appear, I too will join them” in the cells of the justice building, he added. Only three defendants agreed to stay. On the morning of March 22, 2016, two jihadists blew themselves up at Brussels-Zaventem international airport, and a third a full hour later in the metro of the European capital. Result: 32 dead and more than 340 injured. At this trial before the assizes of Brussels the debates should not open until October. But a preliminary hearing was to settle various points of procedure on Monday, and in particular to fix the order of appearance of the witnesses who will succeed one another at the bar, a priori until June 2023.