This is the fifth day of hearing in the trial of the Brussels attacks. Last week, several incidents took place. Several defendants have denounced the conditions in which they are transferred from prison to the Justitia building. On Thursday, the accused Ali El Haddad Asufi even said he was strangled by a policeman when he was taken out of his cell. Will this week go more serenely?
The hearing begins with these words from the President: “Hello everyone. We are all sick, myself included. A virus is circulating between magistrates, clerks and bailiffs. I will see the state of the troops this noon and we will see if we should not suspend for a week. a bit silly to lose so many people”.
We are all sick
This virus also affects the jury. The second substitute juror is absent. The president : “She has a fever. She was on her way, but she felt unwell”. This is the 5th juror we’ve lost. There are therefore only 19 substitute jurors left.
Among the defendants, two of them are also sick. Me Paci announces that his client, Salah Abdeslam, has symptoms of angina. He is absent, but represented by his lawyer. Another accused is also sick, it is Hervé Bayingana Muhirwa. He is present in the box. His lawyer, Me Lurquin advances: “We sent him medicine this weekend, but he did not receive it”.
After counting the absences and illnesses, the prosecutors continue to read the indictment in the absence of the detained defendants. They all asked to join their cell in the Justitia building. It is therefore the second hearing that takes place in the absence of the detained defendants. Only the two defendants appearing free, Smaïl and Ibrahim Farisi, remained in the courtroom.