On the 17th day of the trial of the January 2015 attacks, the specter of Covid-19 caught up with the specially composed assize court.
Due to concerns about the state of health of one of the fourteen defendants (only eleven are present), the hearing was suspended until Friday morning ... at least.
Live: LIVE - January 2015 terrorist attacks: trial suspended after defendant uneasy
It is almost 10:40 am, this Thursday, September 24, when a commotion suddenly swells in the left box of room 2.02 of the Batignolles courthouse.
One of the accused, Mickaël Pastor Alwatik, feels bad.
His lawyer Me Marie Dosé reported it to the president of the special assize court.
The latter interrupted the broadcast on a giant screen of the video claiming the
Charlie Hebdo
massacre
, and announced a suspension of the hearing for
"a few moments"
.
On his return, the magistrate indicates that the debates are again paused, this time
"until 1 pm"
.
Accused sent back to prison for examination
The room empties in a worried hubbub.
During the long lunch break, the corridors of the courthouse rustle with questions.
He whispers to himself that the president will extend the suspension until the next day.
This is confirmed at 1 p.m., when the hearing resumes.
“
One of the accused was sent back to the remand center [in Fleury-Mérogis, Editor's note] so that he could be medically examined.
The hearing will not be able to continue.
We send it back to tomorrow morning,
”launches the president of the special assize court, specifying that Mickaël Nezar Pastor Alwatik will be tested for Covid-19.
Read also: Who are the accused in the January 2015 terrorist attacks?
If the trial can indeed resume tomorrow, the program "
will be the one that was
initially
planned
" for this Friday, said the president.
Relatives of the Kouachi brothers must in particular be heard.
The hearings on Thursday are postponed to a later date.
No hearing in the absence of the accused
But will the hearing really resume on Friday?
Me Dosé warns:
"We will not represent Mickaël Nezar Pastor Alwatik
[in his absence, Editor's note]
. Either he is able to appear or he is not and the hearing will be suspended.
"
Deploring "that
none of the accused has been tested before this hearing,
" the lawyer wants to know if the other accused will be tested.
President's response:
"We will see according to"
the results of Mickaël Nezar Pastor Alwatik, which will be communicated to the parties, he specifies.
The trial of the January 2015 attacks has already been postponed because of the coronavirus.
Originally scheduled for May 4 through July 10, it finally opened on September 2 and is scheduled to end on November 10.
Debates around the wearing of the mask then parasitized the beginning of the trial.
The rest of the hearing now hangs by a thread ...