In Brussels, the first week of the trial of the Islamist attacks of March 2016 was marked by several incidents

The authorities hoped for it to be “historic”, it risks being catastrophic: the trial of the double Islamist attack of March 2016, which began on Monday December 5, had a first week marked by various incidents in Brussels. Suspended Friday, December 9, the hearing should resume Monday. This break may allow the President of the Assize Court to restore order.

Laurence Massart’s first hope is that the hemorrhage which seems to be hitting the bench of jurors will stop: in the space of four days, four of them have put forward medical reasons which would prevent them from sitting. There are only thirty-two left, incumbents and alternates, out of the thirty-six initially designated. If the president’s prognosis – six to seven months of trial – is confirmed, at least twelve jurors will have to hold out until the end.

Another concern points out: the nine defendants, whose interrogation is planned from December 19, will they be in the box, and will they speak? The Swede Osama Krayem, who had given up in extremis to blow himself up in the Maelbeek metro, has not opened his mouth since the start of the trial. Some of his co-defendants, on the other hand, intend to explain themselves, according to their lawyers.

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Victimization strategy

They have apparently changed their minds since one of them, Mohamed Abrini, the “man in the hat” at Zaventem airport, the one who had also given up his role as a suicide bomber, denounced the conditions on Tuesday. “humiliating” of his daily transfer by the police to the Assize Court. A statement supported by the lawyer of Ali El Haddad Asufi, driver, logistician and alleged arms deliverer – which he disputes – to the terrorist cell. In the absence of a response from the president and the federal prosecutor’s office, who both say they are incompetent as to the conditions of transfer of the detainees, five of the defendants, including Salah Abdeslam, decided to leave the hearing and return to their cell.

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New incident, Thursday. El Hadddad Asufi claimed to have been strangled by a policeman and to have lost consciousness during his trip from Haren prison to the former NATO headquarters, where the Brussels Assize Court was exceptionally installed. “There is no question for me of representing a man unable to follow his trial, abused because he dared to speak! » shouted M^e Jonathan DeTaye.

Consternation of judges, jurors and prosecutors. And also civil parties, who fear that a skilful defense strategy will transform the accused into victims and make people forget the facts that must be judged. A suspension of the hearing was decided, the time to find a medical examiner who would examine the accused. An hour and a half later, the latter’s findings were clear: injuries in the cervical region, bruises on the neck, abrasions on the knees. “compatible with a fall on the ground”. This time, all the defendants decided to leave the room, for “solidarity”.

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