November 13 trial: the revelations of the “Max Roos files”
Courtroom sketch showing Salah Abdeslam (right), Mohamed Abrini (centre) and Mohamed Abrini, at the start of the trial for the November 13 attacks.
AFP - BENOIT PEYRUCQ
Text by: Nathanaël Vittrant Follow
4 mins
On the 107th day of hearing, the Court heard again and for the last time the investigators of the Belgian federal police.
They returned to the letters and audio files found in the hideouts of the terrorists and in particular in one of the computers of the jihadist cell the day after the attacks in Brussels.
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From our special correspondent at the Paris courthouse,
Often this Wednesday,
the audience
came up against the attacks in Brussels.
Next October, most of the defendants will be tried in this section in Belgium and one of the principles of law is that no one can be tried twice for the same facts.
So how to interpret these files obviously created after November 13, 2015: these photos of Mohamed Abrini, posing awkwardly, Kalashnikov in hand, in front of a flag of the Islamic State organization?
These farewell letters written by
Mohamed Abrini
and
Salah Abdeslam
in which they justify the attacks and where the second presents himself under the nom de guerre "Abou Abd Rahman"?
The questions make the investigators uncomfortable, often well aware of encroaching on the future Belgian trial.
But the prosecution insists, these elements can "
inform about their commitment
".
The lawyers of the two men hasten to clear these images and these particularly compromising texts.
"
In the million minutes contained in this file, the Kunya Abu Abd Rahman never appears before November 13,
" said Olivia Ronen, Salah Abdeslam's lawyer.
An audio message addressed to “Yass”
It is also about these audio files found in a USB key at Ali El Haddad Asufi, at least one of which is
addressed to "Yass", Yassine Atar.
The two men are in the box, and they owe it in part to these messages.
Their author is Ibrahim El Bakraoui, a friend of Ali El Haddad Asufi, the cousin of Yassine Atar.
El Bakraoui warmly thanks the latter "
for everything he has done for him
" and says he hopes he will take up arms and join him in paradise soon.
For the first time listening to him, we think the defense of Yassine Atar in difficulty.
But his lawyers do not fail to point out that El Bakraoui makes similar recommendations to the rest of his family, that he is grateful to Yassine Atar for having so often come to see him in prison.
“Did your investigation make it possible to determine the nature of this aid provided by Yassine Atar, to which this message refers?
ended up asking Me Raphaël Kempf?
“
Objectively, no
”, recognizes the Belgian policeman.
On his bench, the prosecution is agitated to show that it does not share this analysis, but satisfied, the lawyer sits down.
As for Ali El Haddad Asufi, the police established that he had never opened the famous USB key.
"
Kiss of Death
"
In this key, we also find a message that Ibrahim El Bakraoui, about to blow himself up at
Zaventem airport
, intended for the lawyer of Mohamed Bakkali, arrested a few weeks earlier.
El Brakraoui is trying to clear him of the role he played in the preparation of the November 13 attacks, but six years later, this message mainly serves the prosecution.
Mohamed Bakkali's lawyer will speak of "
kiss of death
".
Especially since in another audio message reconstructed by the computer scientists of the Belgian police, the terrorists also mention Mohamed Bakkali.
But this time the message is signed Najim Lachraoui, one of the cell's pyrotechnicians.
He addresses his "emir", Abou Ahmed alias Oussama Atar.
The investigator broadcasts this long message.
In a quiet voice as one would ask for a cake recipe, we hear him ask questions about the making of the TATP, the homemade explosive of the jihadists.
We learn that they managed to manufacture more than 100 kilos in one week.
"
It's hard to make us believe that they want to release him for his help in the appliance business
"
He then asks for instructions on future targets, talks at length about Euro 2016, which they then dream of hitting.
And then he makes this proposal, to kidnap individuals to then demand the release of several "
brothers
".
He cites two:
Mehdi Nemmouche
, author of the attack on
the Jewish museum in Brussels
, and Mohammed Bakkali.
His lawyer had tried to point out that Mohammed Bakkali is also a friend and associate of the Bakkrawi brothers in their trafficking of household products.
The policeman interrupts him: “
It's a bit complicated to make us believe that they want to release him for his help in the household appliance business
.
»
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Justice
Terrorism
France
Belgium
Trial of the attacks of November 13