The main accused after the terrorist attack in Paris in 2015 has for several years refused to say anything to investigators. Apart from a few outbursts during the first days of the trial, he has been quiet.
In France, there has been great excitement about whether he would explain himself about the bloody attacks in which 130 people were killed.
Today he spoke as the system of the 14 defendants appearing in court in Paris. Several of the others had denied that they knew about the terrorist plans and some of them had condemned the atrocities. But Abdeslam calmly explained why the plans were made.
When asked why France was attacked, he replied that the attackers had nothing personal against “those people there”.
– Same pain as we were inflicted
– We aimed at France and no one else. The French planes that bombed IS in Syria made no difference to men, women or children. We inflicted the same pain on France as we were inflicted, he said calmly and looked straight at the judge.
He insisted that the defendants were “true Muslims” and adherents of “true Islam”.
Several of the audience cried and hugged each other while he explained himself, reports the news agency AFP.
Abdeslam went on to say that then-President François Hollande knew what risk he was taking when he allowed attacks on IS. Hollande will later testify in the trial, which is expected to last for nine months.
A large, modern courtroom has been built in the old Palace of Justice in Paris. The security presence around the case is very large.
Photo: Sarah Meyssonnier / Reuters
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“Trial of the Century”
French media refer to the process as “Trial of the Century”. Of the 20 defendants, 14 appear in court. Five other defendants are considered dead, while the last is in prison in Turkey.
Armed men in suicide vests attacked six bars and restaurants, the Bataclan concert hall and the area outside the Stade de Paris football stadium in November 2015. They killed 130 and injured hundreds of others. The attacks were planned in Syria, according to prosecutors. IS later claimed responsibility for them.
The 32-year-old French-Moroccan Abdeslam is believed to be the only survivor of the group behind the coordinated attacks.
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