On the first day of the trial for the January 2015 attacks, the civil parties were able to discover the faces of the accused.

More than debates, the day was largely devoted to reading the summary of the facts by the president of the court.

A long storytelling of the facts, broadcast in several rooms: the trial of the January 2015 attacks opened on Wednesday in a context marked by the coronavirus.

This is the first time that the survivors and the families of the victims see the faces of the accused, tried for having provided varying degrees of logistical support to the Saïd and Chérif Kouachi brothers and to Amédy Coulibaly, perpetrators of the killings which left 17 dead , between January 7 and 9, 2015. 

Europe 1 was present for this first day of the hearing, mainly devoted to reading the summary of the facts by the president and his assessor.

A specific device linked to the coronavirus

Three of the fourteen people targeted are judged by default.

The defendants present arrived handcuffed but also masked because of the coronavirus, like the whole room.

The civil parties were able to discover their stature and briefly their way of speaking when they had to state their identity in the two boxes.

The almost 200 civil parties are not all there, some will not come until the day of their hearing.

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A total of five theaters are mobilized, with live broadcast links.

A very particular device because of the number of parties involved but also the coronavirus, which contributes to a certain dilution of the words.

"Let us not be afraid, neither of terrorism, nor of freedom", urged the lawyer of

 Charlie Hebdo

, Me Richard Malka, at the entrance of the room.

The president was wrong when he mentioned Charb

Lassana Bathily, the Hyper Cacher storekeeper who had saved several customers during the hostage-taking, was also present.

"It's hard to watch them. Because for me, the person who supported terrorists and the shooters are all the same. I put them all in one basket. We lost loved ones, we really want that. justice be done. This is the only thing that is expected, "he said. 

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Tracking

attacks, a look back at these three days that stunned France

While the trial is scheduled to last two and a half months, the defendants seemed to listen without particular emotion.

The mother of Charb, the former director of the publication of Charlie Hebdo, has meanwhile left the room: the president made a mistake in quoting the name of his son.