Trial of November 13: before the judges, Salah Abdeslam justifies the indefensible
The 13 accused of the trial were invited to speak in court this Wednesday, September 15, 2021. AFP - BENOIT PEYRUCQ
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
It was this Wednesday, September 15, the sixth day of the trial for the November 13 attacks.
Invited to speak by the president of the court at the start of the hearing, Salah Abdeslam, the main accused, justified the attacks carried out in 2015 by the military intervention of France against the Islamic State group.
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With our special correspondent at the Paris courthouse,
Pierre Olivier
After the brief speeches of the 13 defendants, Salah Abdeslam stands out.
"
Hello everyone
", he launches to the room, when many of his co-defendants took care to greet "Mr. President" and to have a thought for the victims.
The main defendant, dressed in a gray sweatshirt, then unfolds his words calmly: “
I would like to say that there is a misunderstanding.
It is not about terrorism, but about authentic Islam.
Terrorists are Muslims!
"
Silence in the room, Salah Abdeslam, continues: “
We attacked civilians, but there was nothing personal.
We targeted France and nothing else, because the French planes that drop bombs on the Islamic State do not distinguish between men, women and children.
"
Civil parties then hug, others let out a tear.
Unperturbed, the accused continues: “
François Hollande knew, when he attacked us, that he risked that the French would experience death.
He concludes looking at the victims: "
My words may be shocking, but I want to be sincere with these people who are in immeasurable pain.
"
"It's easy and totally violent"
His remarks indeed shocked David Fritz-Goeppinger, survivor of the Bataclan. "
I did not expect that, from the outset, after a week of trial, he would uninhibit the words"
I targeted you, but you are not responsible
", he
explains.
It is of an ease and a total violence. I find it a lack of respect for my experience and that of all the victims.
"
“
His words are much less thunderous than during his first speeches now.
As for the content, it intends to present a form of political justification declaring once again that the victims are not targeted
ad hominem
, which we have known from the start
”
,
commented Philippe Dupeyron, president of the 13onze15 association. Brotherhood and Truth.
Once again, the content is necessarily provocative, and it is true that hearing a form of expression of compassion for the victims is both what we want to hear, and at the same time, it is is so ridiculous compared to what we experienced that it is difficult to add other comments.
"We are in reality in a constant of terrorism"
Gérard Chemla, lawyer of civil parties, particularly deplores the justification of Salah Abdeslam, which according to him does not make sense.
“
The first major attack in France was Mohammed Merah, and at that time, there was no question of bombing anyone,” he
recalls.
We are in reality in a constant of jihadist terrorism
:
w hen Salah Abdeslam comes to say "this
is the real Islam
", who can imagine that the real Islam asks to kill anyone
?
"
The other defendants spoke briefly.
Some expressed compassion for the victims, but denied being "terrorists".
Others have admitted part of the facts with which they are accused.
Some of them preferred to refuse to speak at this stage.
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Terrorism
Justice
Trial of the November 13 attacks
Paris attacks
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