The November 13 trial suspended again because of the Covid

Salah Abdeslam was present in the box for the first time since November 25.

AFP - BENOIT PEYRUCQ

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

Tested positive on December 27, Salah Abdeslam, the main accused, was deemed fit to appear by an expert.

But his defense called for a second opinion and the hearing on Thursday turned to the medical debate.

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Twice, the expert who examined Salah Abdeslam on Monday and then Wednesday estimated that, from a medical and health point of view, the main accused in

the November 13 trial

 could appear. But while the first report conditioned the resumption of the hearing on "

the negativity

" of the PCR test of Salah Abdeslam, the second report noted that it was still positive even if it was "

in a very weak capacity

".

Abdeslam's defense therefore requested a second opinion, Me Vettes denouncing a "hoax

"

, since the expert "

contradicted himself in 48 hours

 " on the need for a negative result, while Me Ronen added: "

He This is not a delaying tactic

","

the stake is not only the health of my client, but the safety of all

".

In echo, the other defense lawyers warned against a risk of "

cascading contaminations

", in particular in a closed box where 11 defendants and around twenty gendarmes rub shoulders, without the possibility of respecting barrier gestures such as the aeration or distancing. To avoid a postponement of a few days, we risk a domino effect that could suspend the trial for several weeks, they pleaded. An opinion shared by several civil parties, while others supported the prosecution in favor of an immediate recovery, reports our special correspondent at the courthouse,

Laura Martel

.

After two and a half hours of debates during which some seemed to improvise doctors, then three hours of deliberation, the court finally ordered the second opinion to rule on the state of health of Salah Abdeslam, but also on the delay. contagiousness of an unvaccinated person, which is the case.

The hearing is scheduled to resume Tuesday.

The only survivor of the November 13th commandos was present at the hearing for the first time since November 25th.

The Frenchman, who refused to be vaccinated "

for personal reasons

", tested positive for Covid-19 on December 27, while the trial was suspended.

After four months of hearing, the trial must enter a new phase, that of the interrogation on the merits of the file of the 14 defendants present (six others, therefore five presumed dead, are tried in their absence).

In the event of a resumption on Tuesday, the first to be questioned by the court will be

Mohamed Abrini, childhood friend of Salah Abdeslam

.

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