Gwladys Laffitte with AFP 6:26 a.m., December 10, 2021, modified at 6:31 a.m., December 10, 2021

Yassine Abaaoud, the younger brother of the alleged operational chief of the murderous November 13 commandos, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, testified Thursday before the special assize court, contenting himself with vague answers, far from the expectations of the court and the civil parties.

A white hooded sweatshirt on the back and lower face covered with a black mask.

Yassine Abaaoud, 26, testified Thursday before the special assize court set up for the November 13 attacks.

The young Belgian, brother of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the coordinator of the attacks, was resistant or even on the defensive in front of the court which wanted to understand what was in the head of his big brother.

"I do not know"

To the magistrates' questions: "When was the last time you saw him? Did you have any contact when he was in Syria?"

Yassine Abaaoud's answers are evasive.

"No, I don't know. I don't remember," he evaded most of the time.

"As for the facts, I am not able to give you information. Therefore, I do not know if I will be able to be of great use in this trial", affirmed from the outset Yassine Abaaoud, testifying from the headquarters of the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office in Brussels.

He also claims to have had no contact with his brother since January 2015.

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"He told me that was just the beginning"

At the time, remembers the young man, he was in prison in Belgium for a common law case.

Abdelhamid Abaaoud called him to tell him about the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

"He told me it was just the beginning," Yassine said.

As for the radicalism of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, he explains with his head bowed: "My older brother left the family home at 16. I did not know his activities, his associates".

Going so far as to ask, "Did my brother really do this?" 

Like the rest of his family, he is skeptical about Abdelhamid's death, not having seen his body.

He was however killed by the RAID on November 18, 2015. Complicated, therefore, to know more about his brother's plans.

The student barely split the armor and seemed moved when a civil party lawyer asked him what the loss of two of his brothers had caused.

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"My family is broken" 

Indeed, Abdelhamid had kidnapped their 13-year-old brother, Younes, to take him to Syria.

"I will answer for the victims. My family is broken. We still hope for the return of my little brother. It is especially his disappearance that broke our hearts, because he was not responsible. He is a taboo."

Because the little brother is presumed dead in Syria.

But this information, too, leaves the Abaaoud family skeptical.

The young man who knows almost nothing agrees to express a little compassion.

"I am sorry for all the victims [of the attacks, editor's note], the innocent people killed in the four corners of the world."