The American director Clint Eastwood, author of a film on the foiled Thalys attack in August 2015, whose trial opened Monday, November 16 in Paris, will ultimately not be heard as a witness, the Assize Court has ruled. special.
Read also: Clint Eastwood summoned to trial for the failed Thalys attack
The director's audition was scheduled for next week.
It had been requested by the lawyer for the Thalys gunman, Ayoub El Khazzani, who had been prevented in August 2015 from committing a probable massacre on board the train by the intervention of passengers, including three Americans, who then played their own role in a Clint Eastwood film, released in 2018.
In court, Sarah Mauger-Poliak insisted that the director be heard by videoconference, recalling that the three Americans, including two former soldiers, had not participated in the reconstruction of the facts that she had finally obtained, at the end of investigation.
"
His testimony will shed light on the attitude of the three Americans
", and on the many "
small details
" of the unfolding of the facts they boasted of having told the director, she pleaded.
"
Mr. Clint Eastwood could come and shed some light on the shooting instructions, the unfolding of the scenes which claim to accurately retrace the events which took place in the Thalys,
" she added.
"
I do not see the opportunity to hear a witness who is not witness to anything, who is 90 years old, in the midst of a health crisis, except to create a media hype,
" replied the general prosecutor, denouncing a "
pleading of the buzz
".
After deliberation, the court ruled and decided to override, given that Clint Eastwood had not been "
a direct witness
" and that the Americans will be "
perfectly able to explain the unfolding of the facts
" during their hearing. , scheduled from Thursday.