“At the Brussels attacks trial, Mohamed Abrini recalls his initial sight of women and children.”

On Thursday, during the Zaventem trial, “the man with the hat” reaffirmed that he knew from the outset that he would not detonate his bomb in the airport. He continued to justify the actions of the Islamic State in Syria. The article is only available to subscribers. The court examined the defendants’ recollections of the events of March 22 following questioning their personalities on Wednesday. The President of the Assize Court and her assessors focused on the attack on Zaventem and the accused, Mohamed Abrini, who gave a lot of, sometimes hesitant, testimony, which often contrasted with the victims’ precise accounts.

Heard this Thursday on the facts of Zaventem, “the man with the hat” reaffirmed that he knew from the start that he would not set off his bomb between the walls of the airport. While continuing to legitimize the action of the Islamic State in Syria.

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Journalist at the service of society

By Arthur Sente

Published on 6/04/2023 at 18:44
Reading time: 7 mins

After having questioned the personality of the defendants on Wednesday, it was their memory of the facts that the court wanted to probe by focusing on Thursday morning on the details of the events of March 22. Tedious exercise. Unable to count on the cooperation of Osama Krayem who paraded in Maelbeek – and who has held the title of king of silence since the start of the trial – the president of the assize court and her assessors had to resign to concentrate their efforts on the attack on Zaventem. And on its only living protagonist, Mohamed Abrini. An accused who speaks, him, and even a lot. Even if it is in a hesitant way and if his memories, often partial, contrast with the precision of certain accounts delivered by the victims during the last month.

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In the ongoing trial of the Brussels terror attacks, the court focused on the events that occurred on March 22 at Zaventem. Mohamed Abrini, the only living protagonist of the attack, spoke up and shared his memories, though they were often hesitant and partial. Without the cooperation of other defendants, the tedious exercise of probing into the details of the events relied heavily on Abrini’s accounts. As the trial continues, we hope for justice to be served and closure for the victims and their families.