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Ines Madani, the co-accused of Ornella Gilligmann who pretended to be a man. Benoit PEYRUCQ / AFP

In the trial of the failed attack near Notre Dame in 2016, it is time for defense pleadings with this Friday, October 11 in particular, the two lawyers of Ornella Gilligmann.

This 29-year-old mother at the time had fallen in love with a jihadist on the internet to the point of leaving her husband, while behind this profile was actually hiding Ines Madani, his co-accused.

For 2 hours, Ornella Gilligmann's lawyers tried to convince the court to sentence her to a lesser sentence than 25 years' imprisonment with a two-thirds security period required by the prosecution.

" I have the impression that we are asking our client to do a legitimate job of introspection on her change in radical ideology, but as soon as she tries to explain, she is criticized for downplaying her responsibility " deplores Me Cosima Ouhioun, for whom some of these explanations must be taken into account by the court.

Starting with this virtual love for Ines Madani's men's double, " a determining, unbalanced, conditioning relationship " hammers the lawyer, who believes that " the passage to the act of his client is more crime of passion ."

" Ornella Gilligmann is not innocent, recognizes Master Nogueras, she knows she will participate in something, but thinks that her role is limited to help, " he says.

And the two lawyers try to show that it was Ines Madani who was at the initiative of the attack and that when Ornella Gilligmann claims to have wanted to make it fail, it is a plausible hypothesis.

In any case, the question of her determination arises, underline her advice, which point out that she never wanted to die as a martyr and fled after the failed attempt, when Ines Madani turned to herself. another terrorist project.

Finally, Mr. Ouhioun hopes that the court will take into account the evolution of Ornella Gilligmann for 3 years in prison, where she is involved in a de-radicalization program. " 25 years is a counterproductive message, it means that neither its course nor the shame and remorse it expresses nor its undeniable de-radicalization process count, " concludes the lawyer.

► To read also: Attempted attack on Notre-Dame: opening of the trial of "gas cylinders"