The trial of the November 13 attacks could resume Thursday, January 6 if Salah Abdeslam's PCR test is negative, the president of the specially composed assize court said on Tuesday (January 3).
But doubts persist, his lawyer having affirmed that he was "
not in state
".
Read also Attacks of November 13: Salah Abdeslam tested positive for Covid-19
"
I have just been told that the laboratory has still not transmitted to Fleury
(where the accused is detained, Editor's note)
the results of the PCR test of Salah Abdeslam, but normally we resume Thursday,
" said Jean-Louis Périès , at the opening of the hearing, after two weeks of winter break.
"I hope that this trial will end in 2022!"
His phone exceptionally connected, the president waited in vain for the latest results of the tests carried out on Monday on the only member of the commando still alive from the attacks which bloodied the capital and Saint-Denis.
The hearing therefore began more than two hours late while awaiting these results.
A telephone ringing rang out in the room. The president picks up and says "
yes, yes
". He hangs up and explains: “
According to live information, the solitary confinement
(of Salah Abdeslam)
has been extended to January 5. Does that mean that the test is positive or negative, I don't know
”. Annoyed, the magistrate added: "
We were talking about an extraordinary trial but I did not know that it was an extraordinary trial because of the inorganization of certain services
". And to launch: "
I hope that we will end this trial in 2022!
"
A court-appointed expert examined the main defendant in the trial, before the result of his test, and found that he was fit to attend the hearing on Thursday if his PCR test turned out to be negative.
But Salah Abdeslam's lawyer, Me Olivia Ronen, disputes the expert's conclusions.
"
My client to date is not able to appear and that may also be the case tomorrow or the day after tomorrow,
" she assured.
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Trial of November 13: the questioning of the accused must be used to "understand" their actions, according to a civil party lawyer
A fuzzy schedule
The only survivor of the jihadist commandos which left 130 dead and hundreds injured in Paris and Saint-Denis in November 2015, Salah Abdeslam, who has not appeared at the hearing since November 25, has tested positive for Covid -19 December 27.
The accused is being held in Fleury-Mérogis (Essonne) prison, where several sources of contamination were recently detected.
In solitary confinement, however, the prisoner is not in a bubble.
He can receive his lawyers and works with supervisors on a daily basis.
Read also Trial of November 13: the flaws in the Belgian surveillance of Osama Atar, mastermind of the attacks
At the same time, a second problem could be raised concerning the very tight schedule of the trial.
The defendants were to be questioned on the facts from Tuesday.
Mohamed Abrini was supposed to get the ball rolling, but his questioning was postponed to a date still unknown to the parties.
"
Could you ensure that lawyers and their clients are informed before the press?"
», Urged his lawyer Me Marie Violleau, during this short afternoon of hearing.
At the same time, the accused Osama Krayem, who must be questioned on Thursday, refused to appear, which raises fears of a new refusal in two days.