Enlarge image
Drawing of Salah Abdeslam's appearance in court: "I have chosen not to detonate the belt"
Photo: BENOIT PEYRUCQ / AFP
In the trial of the Islamist terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015, which left 130 dead, the main defendant testified that he intentionally did not detonate his explosive belt.
"I decided not to detonate the belt, not out of fear, it was my decision," Salah Abdeslam said in court in Paris on Wednesday.
Abdeslam confirmed that the fact that he later said in his environment that the belt had not worked was a lie.
"I was ashamed of the others." Abdeslam is the sole survivor of the terrorist command.
Before that, Abdeslam had not answered the lawyers' questions for two hours in court.
After his brief statement, he again fell silent.
On November 13, 2015, three men equipped with explosive belts killed 130 people in the Bataclan concert hall, in front of cafes and restaurants in downtown Paris and near the Stade de France.
350 other people were injured.
The nine assassins are dead. Abdeslam was the only one who got rid of his explosive belt and fled the night of the crime.
In previous interrogations, Abdeslam had defended himself: "I didn't kill anyone and hurt nobody," he said in February.
He later admitted to having been involved in preparing the attacks.
At the beginning of the trial, he explained the acts as revenge for French airstrikes in Syria.
The process began in September.
Twenty men are charged, six of whom are absent.
Five of them are believed to be dead, one is in custody in Turkey.
In addition to Abdeslam, four men have been charged with allegedly being used in attacks.
The remaining defendants are believed to have provided logistical assistance by helping Abdeslam escape or by obtaining false papers.
sol/dpa/AFP