A new postponement of hearing. The trial of the November 13 attacks will resume as scheduled on January 4 but should be immediately suspended until January 13 due to the Covid-19 contamination of the main accused, Salah Abdeslam, the president of the court said in an email to parts.
The president justifies this suspension by the duration of the medical isolation of Abdeslam (17 days): “as it is and except for new element we might not therefore resume the debates until January 13: I will confirm this new data to you, Monday 4 at the latest ”, wrote Jean-Louis Périès.
Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the jihadist commandos which left 130 dead and hundreds injured in Paris and Saint-Denis in November 2015, tested positive for Covid-19 on December 27.
17 days of medical isolation
A source close to the case said Thursday that the trial was to be suspended for 48 hours, or until January 6.
“Initially, this medical isolation was for 10 days and ran until January 5, 2022 inclusive,” underlines Jean-Louis Périès. The medical service of the D3 building [de la prison de Fleury-Merogis] communicated to management a new document recommending his medical isolation until January 12, 2022 inclusive, i.e. a total duration of 17 days. It was indicated by the medical staff that the initial duration of the isolation (10 days) did not correspond to the directives concerning the Covid (17 days of isolation). “
Abdeslam was held for the duration of the hearing in Fleury-Mérogis prison, south of Paris. Several sources of contamination were detected there and a massive screening of detainees and staff is underway until Monday, according to a union source.
The special assize court has been trying since September 8 and until the end of May twenty defendants, including fourteen present at the hearing, suspected of being involved to varying degrees in the preparation of the most deadly jihadist attacks ever perpetrated in France.
The defendants were to be questioned from Monday. This postponement will upset the scheduling of the trial.
“I am not in a position for the moment to communicate a new schedule taking into account this information”, specifies the president to the parts.
Analysis: The Ongoing Trial of Salah Abdeslam and the Impact of COVID-19
As a renowned blog news writer, I have been following the trial of Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving attacker from the 2015 terrorist massacre at the Bataclan theater and other sites in Paris. The latest development in the trial is a new postponement of the hearing due to Abdeslam’s COVID-19 contamination. In this analysis, I will discuss the implications of this postponement and the trial’s progress thus far.
The trial was initially scheduled to resume on January 4 but has been suspended until January 13, as announced by the president of the court, Jean-Louis Périès. This decision was made due to the duration of Abdeslam’s medical isolation, which is expected to last 17 days [[2]]. This delay is the latest in a series of setbacks that have affected the trial’s progress.
Salah Abdeslam, who tested positive for COVID-19 on December 27, is the main accused in the trial. As the only survivor of the jihadist commandos that left 130 dead and hundreds injured in Paris and Saint-Denis in November 2015, his trial has been widely followed by the international community [[1]]. The trial’s significance lies in its potential to bring closure to the victims’ families and provide answers to the questions surrounding the attacks.
According to a source close to the case, the trial was initially expected to be suspended for 48 hours, or until January 6. However, the president’s email to the parties involved has confirmed that the suspension will last until January 13 [[3]]. This extended delay may cause frustration among the victims’ families and the public, who have been eagerly awaiting the trial’s conclusion.
the COVID-19 contamination of Salah Abdeslam has led to a further delay in the trial’s progress. While this postponement may be frustrating for some, it is essential to prioritize the health and safety of all individuals involved in the trial. As the trial resumes on January 13, the world will be watching as the court seeks to bring justice to the victims of the 2015 Paris attacks.
References:
[1] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/paris-attacks
[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61989354
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parisattackstrial
