Europe 1 with AFP 5:04 p.m., March 30, 2022, modified at 5:09 p.m., March 30, 2022

Salah Abdeslam briefly emerged from his silence this Wednesday at the trial of the November 13 attacks to reaffirm that he had "given up" using his explosive belt on the evening of November 13, 2015. "I did not go until at the end, I gave up putting on my belt, not out of cowardice, not out of fear, but I didn't want to," he said.

Salah Abdeslam came out of his silence.

This Wednesday at the trial of the November 13 attacks, the accused reaffirmed that he had "given up" using his explosive belt on the evening of the 2015 attack. , I gave up putting on my seat belt, not out of cowardice, not out of fear, but I didn't want to, that's all," said Salah Abdeslam in response to a request from a civil party lawyer.

The only surviving member of the jihadist commandos had been silent for about two hours to questions from the court, the prosecution and the first civil party lawyers when he decided to provide some answers.

Maître Claire Josserand-Schmidt began her round of questions by reminding the main accused of his "promise" during a previous interrogation on the merits of the case to give explanations.

His previous statements in question

"The civil parties are not trying to ask you questions to trick you, but to seek to understand, to understand you," insisted Maître Josserand-Schmidt, asking a series of questions.

First saying he was "sorry", Salah Abdeslam finally agreed to "answer a few questions".

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While the president of the special assize court of Paris wanted to give the floor to his colleagues, she asked to be able to continue this "exchange" with the main defendant.

The lawyer notably questioned him on his previous statements, when he had already hinted in February that he had "backtracked" and given up triggering his explosive belt on the evening of November 13.

What Salah Abdeslam confirmed.

"Why did you then tell relatives that the belt had not worked", relaunches Claire Josserand-Schmidt.

"Is it a lie then?"

"Yes, that's it," agrees the accused.

"I was ashamed of not having gone all the way. I was afraid of the gaze of others (jihadists). I was 25 years old. That's the fact that I was simply ashamed", concluded the 32-year-old Frenchman, before again wallowing in silence.