The Brussels Assize Court began this Wednesday, April 5, the interrogation of the nine defendants tried for the attacks of March 22, 2016 and Salah Abdeslam, who was speaking for the first time, took the opportunity to denounce "an injustice" considering
that
his place was not in the dock.
“
My presence in this box is an injustice.
We are not looking for justice, we are trying to set examples
, ”argued the accused vehemently, ensuring that he had no knowledge of the plans for attacks in Brussels.
"Aware of nothing"
The 33-year-old Frenchman, sentenced in France to incompressible life imprisonment - the heaviest possible sentence - for his role in the attacks of November 13, 2015, was in prison in Belgium when the attacks in Brussels occurred.
"
I did not participate
" in the attacks in Brussels, "
the planned attack was born after my arrest on March 18, 2016
", "
I was not aware of anything
", defended Salah Abdeslam.
This first interrogation since the opening of the trial on December 5 concerned only the personality of Salah Abdeslam.
His questioning on the facts will take place at a later date.
His childhood friend Mohamed Abrini also sought to downplay his role in the attacks.
“
They make us wear jackets that are too big for us.
As in Paris, we will be condemned for what the others have done
”, immediately explained “
the man in the hat
”, the only survivor of the jihadist commando at Brussels airport.
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Aged 38, the Belgian-Moroccan who had given up at the last moment to participate in the attacks of November 13 in Paris, returning to Brussels the day before the attacks, had also given up at the last moment to detonate his bomb at the airport from Brussels, leaving Najim Laachraoui and Ibrahim El Bakraoui to blow themselves up without him.
Mohamed Abrini was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 22-year security period in Paris.
He declined to appeal.
“
After 10 months of trial, we were all on our knees.
Even if I had been sentenced to death, I would not have appealed
,” he explained in Brussels.
"Bloodlust of public opinion"
Mohamed Abrini, dressed in an orange hooded sweatshirt under a dark jacket, hair cut short and full beard, considered that the defendants present in the box, in Brussels as in Paris, were not "the top of the line
. pyramid
”.
“
You don't have the sponsors but you have to hit on someone and that someone is us
,” he said.
This trial, like that of the November 13 attacks, is "
to quench public opinion's thirst for blood
", he added.
The attacks of November 13 caused the death of 130 people and those of Brussels caused the death of 32 others.
“
I have always loved doing good.
That's what I've tried to do all my life
, ”said Salah Abdeslam when the president of the court Laurence Massart asked him to list his qualities.
“
And your faults?
“, continues the president.
Salah Abdeslam thinks for a moment and replies confidently: “
I don't know myself
”.
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To the same questions, Mohamed Abrini replied: “
I believe in God
” and “
I have millions of faults, I commit too many sins
”.
This is the first time since the opening of the trial that the court has had the opportunity to hear the words of the nine defendants involved in the double Islamist attack of March 2016. A tenth defendant, Osama Atar, considered to be the donor of order of the attacks from Brussels after having coordinated the attacks of November 13, is judged in his absence.
He is presumed dead in the Iraqi-Syrian zone.
After the examination of the personality of the defendants present, the court must begin an interrogation “
by theme
”.
The interrogations are scheduled over two weeks but the schedule has often been pushed around since the start of the hearing.
Initially, the floor was to be given to the defendants on Monday, but the absence of an associate judge for medical reasons forced the court to reorganize its schedule.
The interrogations must resume Thursday before interrupting on Friday due to the Easter weekend.
They will then not resume until Tuesday.
