There will be no second "Paris bis" trial in Brussels, a file linked to the attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis in November 2015. The federal prosecutor's office has decided not to appeal, the judgment handed down on June 30 in Brussels is therefore final.

Thirteen men and one woman were tried last spring, suspected of having brought, from Belgium, a more or less important help - accommodation, driving, making false papers - to the commandos of November 13 who made 132 victims (including two post-attack suicides).

In the end, four of the 14 defendants were released on June 30, three others had their sentences suspended, and only two firm prison sentences were imposed (18 months and 35 days), the others being accompanied by reprieve.

The Brussels Criminal Court also imposed a sentence of community service.

The judgment was generally praised for its leniency by defense lawyers.

"It's a very fair, very correct decision," reacted Virginie Taelman, whose client, Abid Aberkane, had nevertheless been severely pinned down by the prosecution.

Cousin of Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving member of the November 13 commandos, Abid Aberkane had hosted the French jihadist in Molenbeek during the last days of his run before his arrest on March 18, 2016. He was sentenced to three years in prison with reprieve, while the prosecution had requested one more year.

The judges dismissed certain grievances, finding in particular that he could not be accused of having made propaganda for the Islamic State (IS) group.

Next episode: the trial on the Brussels attacks

In the judicial treatment of this wave of 2015-2016 attacks claimed by IS, the next step is the trial scheduled from October 10 for the ten accused of the attacks committed in Brussels on March 22, 2016 (32 dead) by the same jihadist cell.

Our dossier on 13-November

Among the accused are - as in the Paris trial completed on June 29 - Salah Abdeslam and Mohamed Abrini, who had accompanied the attackers to Paris.

Abrini is known as the "man in the hat" of the Brussels attacks (he had given up on blowing himself up at the airport).

Abdeslam, 32, and Abrini, 37, were sentenced in Paris to life in prison.

For the first, the Assize Court pronounced the highest sanction of the French Penal Code, namely incompressible life imprisonment.

For the second, life was accompanied by a 22-year security sentence.

Both were transferred in mid-July to Belgian prisons.

Justice

Attacks of November 13: Understand everything to life imprisonment, to which Salah Abdeslam was sentenced

Justice

Attacks of November 13: Last "apologies" and ultimate "regrets" for the accused before the verdict

  • Attacks of November 13

  • Belgium

  • Salah Abdeslam

  • Mohammad Abrini

  • Court case

  • Attacks in Brussels