Five years and eight months after the January 2015 attacks, it's time for trial. From this Wednesday, September 2, 14 defendants will be tried by the Special Assize Court of Paris for their logistical support, more or less direct, to the attacks which caused the death of 17 people in and in front of the Charlie Hebdo premises, in Montrouge and at the Hyper Cacher on avenue de la Porte de Vincennes.
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This trial promises to be historic. By its duration, first: 50 days, from September 2 to November 10. More than two months, such a duration is unprecedented in terrorist matters.
During the summer, the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) sent a first overview of the provisional timetable for the debates. On the program for the first days: reading of the report on the facts, interrogation of the identity of the accused and presentation of the investigations of personalities carried out on these suspects.
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As of Monday, September 7, the Special Assize Court will come back in detail to the events of January 2015. It will hear in particular the wounded at Charlie Hebdo on September 9, the director and the employee of the Dammartin-en-printing press. Goële where the Kouachi brothers took refuge on September 16 as well as the Hyper Cacher hostages on September 22 and 23.
The fifth week will be devoted to the conduct of the judicial inquiry. Several witnesses, investigators and experts (in writing, ballistics, genetics ...) will be heard. The sixth, seventh and eighth weeks will be dedicated to the questioning of the 11 accused present and to the hearing of witnesses in connection with these suspects.
Then it's time for the last phase of the trial. Civil party lawyers will plead on October 27, 28 and 29. Monday, November 2 will be reserved for the requisitions of the two representatives of the PNAT. Defense lawyers' pleadings will take place from November 3-6. On November 9, the defendants will have the floor last before the court withdraws to deliberate.
The trial will be filmed
Another great first for a trial linked to acts of terrorism: the hearing will be filmed. " This trial is obviously of interest for the constitution of the historical archives of justice", underlines the Court of Appeal of Paris, which considers that this recording does not infringe the presumption of innocence and that it does not is "not likely to disturb the serenity of the debates" .
Read also: The trial of the January 2015 attacks will be filmed
Eleven trials have already been filmed in France. Let us note those of Klaus Barbie in 1987, Maurice Papon in 1997-1998 and Augusto Pinochet in 2010, as well as two AZF trials, in 2009 and 2017. The most recent recording dates back to 2018, when Octavien Ngenzi and Tito Barahira were tried. on appeal to Paris for their role in the Rwandan genocide.
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Room 2.02 of the new courthouse in Paris will not be sufficient to accommodate all of the people wishing to attend the hearing - lawyers, civil parties, press, public ... Five retransmission rooms will therefore be set up: three rooms on the second floor of the court, the “grand trial” area reserved for journalists and the auditorium on the ground floor.
Only lawyers constituted in the case, civil parties and accredited journalists - editors, image reporters and cartoonists - will be able to access the second floor of the courthouse. All will have to prove their identity and submit to a metal detector check. The public will have to follow the audience from the auditorium on the ground floor.
The health crisis - which has already caused a postponement of the trial - adds additional constraints to this organization. Wearing a mask will be mandatory throughout the courthouse, including room 2.02. In addition, " the capacity of the courtrooms and the auditorium has been reduced by half to ensure compliance with the rules of distancing" , specifies the PNAT.
After the verdict, theoretically scheduled for November 10, it will be necessary to learn the lessons of these ten weeks of hearing. Because very quickly another trial will arrive, of an even greater scope: that of the attacks of November 13th. Supposed to last six months, it will not take place at the Batignolles courthouse, but at the Île de la Cité.
Read also: Attacks of November 13, 2015: towards a river trial
The trial of the January 2015 attacks in ten figures:
- 2 representatives of the national anti-terrorist prosecution
- 5 professional judges
- 14 accused, including 3 absent
- 14 cited experts
- 17 dead in the attacks
- 50 hearing days scheduled
- 70 accredited media
- 94 lawyers
- 144 witnesses cited
- Nearly 200 civil parties